Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 29 August 2024 — Representatives of the Scientific-Information Center of the Secretariat of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) participated in a National Working Meeting devoted to the preparation of Turkmenistan’s Fourth National Communication and First Biennial Update Report under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as to the review of the implementation of Turkmenistan’s Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement and the country’s efforts to fulfil the Global Methane Pledge. The meeting was held at the Archabil Hotel in Ashgabat within the framework of the joint project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, “Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza.”
The working meeting brought together representatives of relevant ministries and agencies, international organizations, national experts and members of the scientific community. Discussions focused on preparations for Turkmenistan’s participation in the twenty-ninth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP29), the update of the Nationally Determined Contribution, implementation of the Global Methane Pledge, the improvement of national climate legislation and the preparation of the national greenhouse gas inventory.
National Working Meeting in progress. Photocredit to UNDP Turkmenistan.
Particular attention was devoted to the preparation of Turkmenistan’s Fourth National Communication and First Biennial Update Report. Participants reviewed interim results of the national greenhouse gas inventory for the period 2011–2020, covering the energy, industrial processes, agriculture, waste and fluorinated gases sectors, and discussed the preparation of sections related to mitigation and adaptation measures.
In the afternoon session, Nazar Allaberdiev, representing the Scientific-Information Center of ICSD, delivered a presentation on the interim results of the national greenhouse gas inventory for the energy and waste sectors. His presentation highlighted key findings, including trends in greenhouse gas emissions, methodological approaches used in data assessment and preliminary conclusions of direct relevance to the preparation of Turkmenistan’s national climate reports in accordance with UNFCCC requirements.
Participants of the National Working Meeting. Photocredit to UNDP Turkmenistan.
Subsequent discussions addressed the draft of Turkmenistan’s First Biennial Update Report, as well as measures to strengthen the legislative framework for expanding the use of renewable energy and enhancing its contribution to the implementation of Turkmenistan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.
The participation of ICSD representatives in the meeting contributed to strengthening cooperation between national and regional expert institutions and to ensuring consistency between Turkmenistan’s climate reporting efforts and broader regional processes in the fields of environmental protection and sustainable development in Central Asia.
The event supports the achievement of:
| Priority Area of REP4SD No 4 dedicated to SDG 13: “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” |
| 4.3 Assessment of climate risks and vulnerabilites through the application of corresponding models of a climate change impact on water resources, terrestrial ecosystems and natural disasters, tackling the development of state policies and strategies in this area. |