Dear Deputy Minister of of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic,

Distinguished representatives from the President’s Administration and from development partners,

Distinguished guests from Embassies and Development Partners,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon!

It is my pleasure to join this event today devoted to initiate the process of developing the long-term strategy for the Kyrgyz Republic to reach carbon neutral by 2050. The aim of such a strategy is to lay out the actions that will realise the climate ambitions that Kyrgyz Republic President Sadyr Japarov pledged at the 76^th session of UN General Assembly and at the 26^th Conference of Parties.

Although Kyrgyzstan is not responsible for the mounting concentration of carbon in the atmosphere, it is incumbent on all nations to contribute in the implementation of the Paris agreement and in particular to collectively ensure that the global temperature increase does not go beyond 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The science clearly shows that to avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a liveable planet, emissions need to be reduced by 45% globally by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

For Low-emitting countries, the ultimate challenge is to select a growth path that will accelerate the economy and recovery of the economic impact from COVID pandemic and to mitigate a global recession, while choosing a green and sustainable development path. Thus, the Long Term Strategy needs to chart this path and help government steer investments into green, not brown, growth. It needs to clearly set out the aspirations for what the path will look like, and it must define realistic and achievable steps to get there. For this strategy is as much about the journey, as it is about the destination.

We know broadly what actions we need to take to cut emissions. They fall broadly into three categories: energy efficiency, low-carbon technologies, and a halt to deforestation. We also know what policies are necessary to drive these actions: tax incentives, carbon trading and regulation; increased technology support; and measures that halt deforestation.

And yet at the same time, the hard part will be finding the right mix and discipline in ensuring a focus on green development. In the case of Kyrgyzstan, which is also facing an energy deficit, among the challenges will be to prevent or reduce the exploitation of coal and other fossil fuels – which could lead to a drastic increase in GHG emissions – in favor of a more deliberate and sustained investment in solar, wind, hydro and other power solutions, accompanied and underpinned by attracting investment in technological innovations.

So a Long Term Strategy must envision strategic investments into the long-term goals for adaptation and how mitigation will support a breakthrough for the triple wins of resilient nation, green economy, and sustainable development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are only a month from the COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt when representatives of all nations will gather to take stock on where we are in dealing with climate emergency and how decisions taken in Glasgow have been taken forward with credible action domestically.

But no matter how successful the country is with mitigation, we are now committed over the next few decades to unavoidable further global warming due to the already rising levels of GHGs in the atmosphere and those which will be emitted in the coming years. Therefore Kyrgyzstan faces the urgency of establishing stronger adaptation mechanisms and investing in coping capacities for the most vulnerable and hardest hit regions and social groups, including the poor, ethnic minority populations, and other vulnerable groups living in remote areas and exposed locations.

There are synergies here. Restoring the mountain ecosystem with integrated nature-based solutions of sustainable water resource management and economic alternatives could provide significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, while maximizing the benefits of building community resilience to adapt to any systematic risks and shocks. Indigenous knowledge can help to point the way.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Developing the Long Term Strategy must be a multistakeholder process of co-creation. I am so glad to see representatives from a broad cross section in government here today. Today’s event also serves as an invitation to all development partners to join hands and collaborate in this process. For the ideas and proposals are the easy part – the hard part is going to lie in the development of concrete measures that can be implemented with full political and financial support, and we have to work together in order to make this happen.

From UNDP’s side, our commitment is to continue providing climate programme support and policy advisory services to the Government in NDC implementation, to continue our support in developing the National Adaptation Plan, and for the LTS, we will work as much as possible as a proactive integrator – working together with other development partners to leverage their key technical leadership and partnership in the next level NDC implementation in Kyrgyzstan. What we have all to do, is to jointly mobilise the support, project by project, and sector by sector and enable better access to knowledge, expertise, technology and resources essential to deliver on the climate neutral and resilient future. There are few shortcuts, but there are many paths that can help sustain and accelerate country progress.

UNDP has so far supported 33 countries in development of LTS and Another 50 LTSs are under development. This falls under our global Climate Promise and we are moving forward from helping countries raise their NDC ambition to realising them.

Many countries are developing a Long Term Strategy as a tool for tightening multilateral cooperation and Climate Change negotiation at COPs. Domestically, LTS is a high-level strategic policy tool for development partners and private sector to access to transparent information and predictable environment for cooperation and investments.

Lastly, the LTS is setting future stage of development, we need more women and young people as decision-makers at the table. We also need the private sector in transforming the economy toward low carbon and resilient development. If guided by the right policies and regulations, participation of the private sector will help advance sustainable development objectives, including by availing green finance, more efficient use of natural resources, and improving the competitiveness of the economy. Let us find ways to unlock the potential of business for a new chapter of public-private partnerships for a green and sustainable economy in Kyrgyzstan.

In closing, let me congratulate the government and people of Kyrgyzstan on the governnment’s commitment to embark on this LTS. We are excited and ready to walk together with you on the way forward. We will harness further partnership and cooperation opportunities and continue supporting the endeavour of the Government and all stakeholders to secure long term climate neutrality.

 Thank you.