Every morning, before the first meeting, before the first email, there is a quiet ritual at the UNDP  office in Bishkek - a car is unplugged from its charging station, ready for another day. No petrol. No oil to check. Just electricity - drawn from the same grid that powers the lights, the laptops, and the work of a team committed to sustainable development. 

It may sound like a small thing. But in a country where over 2 million vehicles are registered and electric cars still make up less than 1% of the national fleet, every transition counts. 

The Kyrgyz Republic is at a turning point on green transport. The country's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) includes specific measures for low-carbon mobility, and the government has introduced VAT exemptions on electric vehicles (EV) imports. State-owned Chakan GES OJSC is installing 10 electric vehicle charging stations across the Issyk-Kul region - the country's main tourist destination. The development of electric transport has been identified as one of the key directions of the Kyrgyz Republic's green economy program, with electromobility now formally included as a mitigation measure in the country's national climate commitments.  

With a $29,246 investment through the UNDP Greening Moonshot - UNDP's commitment to reduce its corporate carbon footprint by 50 percent by 2030 through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and low-carbon mobility - UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic acquired a Toyota bZ4X electric SUV and installed an on-site charging station. The vehicle replaced a petrol-powered vehicle as part of the office fleet.  

UNDP's vehicle fleet accounts for 12 percent of the organization's operational emissions globally, approximately 7,000 tons of CO₂ per year - making fleet electrification one of the most direct levers for emissions reduction.  

The person who knows the new car best is the one who drives it every day. 

"When I started working here, I had the Camry - a regular petrol car," Dmitrii recalls. 

"The bZ4X came a couple of months later. This is a very advanced car with a wide range of sensors that make it extremely easy to operate." 

The features surprised him. Parking sensors that trigger automatic brake system. A system that monitors whether the driver's eyes are open on the highway, and if they're not, sounds like an alarm and brings the car to a controlled stop. Lane-keeping cruise control. Seatbelt reminders for rear passengers don't stop until everyone is buckled in. 

"From a safety point of view, it's a completely different level," he says. 

But the practical shift is just as striking. The office has its own charging station. The car charges overnight. In the morning, it's full. There are no trips to the petrol station, no oil changes, no fuel costs. 

"Before, the Camry used around 15 to 16 liters per 100 kilometers in the city sometimes 12. Now we charge here, on-site. The savings are significant and very real." 

When asked about the charging time, he is a matter of fact: "It depends on how low the battery is. Recently, at 28% charge, I plugged in for 8 hours. If we leave it at the end of the working day, by morning it's fully charged." 

The UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic move aligns with a broader shift across the organization. Over 65 UNDP offices have now joined the Moonshot for e-Mobility initiative, which supports country offices transitioning from petrol-powered to electric vehicles.  

For Kyrgyzstan, the symbolic dimension matters too. UNDP is working with partners to increase access to renewable energy in rural areas of the Kyrgyz Republic, and supports the country's National Adaptation Plan covering six sectors including energy and climate-resilient cities. An electric vehicle parked at the UNDP office is a visible signal to government partners, civil society, and the public - the transition is possible, the technology is here, and international organisations are willing to go first. 

The Kyrgyz Republic adopted a Green Economy Development Programme and established a new Coordination Council on Green Economy and Climate Change, led by the Prime Minister. UNDP sits at the table of that conversation - and now drives to those meetings in an electric car. 

Back at the office in Bishkek, the charging cable is ready for the end of the working day. Tomorrow morning, the car will be full again - quietly, without fuss, without fuel. In a country where the electric revolution is just beginning, that might be exactly the right place to start.