LocationsUzbekistan Advances Nature Finance Agenda at 12th BIOFIN Regional Dialogue in Antalya
June 23, 2026
ANTALYA / TASHKENT — A high-level delegation of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan (the Committee) participated in the 12th Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Finance for Europe, Asia and the Pacific (EAPAC), held from 16 to 18 June 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, and organized under the United Nations Development Programme's Biodiversity Finance Initiative (UNDP BIOFIN).
The annual EAPAC Regional Dialogue serves as the primary peer-learning platform for biodiversity finance experts and government representatives from across the region, convening specialists to exchange best practices, review the implementation of national biodiversity finance plans, and explore innovative financial instruments for nature conservation. This year's edition brought together delegations from across Europe, Asia and the Pacific against the backdrop of an urgent global challenge: the annual biodiversity finance gap currently stands at over USD 700 billion, with only USD 121 billion allocated globally for the protection and restoration of ecosystems against the nearly USD 950 billion needed each year.
UNDP BIOFIN — a global programme active in more than 130 countries since its launch in 2012 — has to date supported partner governments in unlocking over USD 3.0 billion in finance for nature globally, a figure that leapt from USD 1.7 billion in 2024. Uzbekistan, which joined the BIOFIN Initiative in 2021, has been a growing part of this momentum.
Uzbekistan Opens the Dialogue
The Uzbek delegation was led by Mr. Obidjon Kudratov, First Deputy Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change. In his address at the opening ceremony, Mr. Kudratov highlighted the pivotal role of UNDP in supporting Uzbekistan's national reform agenda, presented the country's achievements in environmental governance, and expressed appreciation for BIOFIN's continued technical partnership.
High-Level Bilateral Meetings
On the sidelines of the Dialogue, Mr. Kudratov held bilateral meetings with senior UNDP leadership and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye.
In talks with Ms. Steliana Nedera, Director of the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub, and Mr. Martin Cadena, Global Manager of the UNDP BIOFIN Programme, the parties reviewed ongoing cooperation within Uzbekistan's sustainable development programmes. Ms. Nedera commended Uzbekistan's far-reaching reforms and its growing role in shaping the environmental agenda of the region, noting that Samarkand has emerged as a leading international platform for key decisions on environmental issues of both regional and global significance.
Milestones Recognized
Mr. Cadena highlighted a series of landmark achievements in Uzbekistan's biodiversity finance journey:
- Completion of the National Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) — a strategic roadmap for mobilizing financial resources and implementing innovative finance instruments to close Uzbekistan's identified biodiversity financing gap of almost USD 60 million and achieve national biodiversity targets under the country's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for 2024–2028.
- Launch of Central Asia's first Biodiversity Finance Academic Module at Eco Expo Central Asia 2026 (Samarkand, 3 June 2026), developed jointly by UNDP BIOFIN and the Central Asian Green University with support from the Government of Switzerland. The module — the first of its kind to embed BIOFIN's globally recognized methodology into a university curriculum — is now offered as an elective course within the University's Master's Programme in Sustainable Finance, with enrollment opening for the autumn 2026 semester. "Education is the most powerful tool you can use to positively change the world. Uzbekistan is leading the way," said Mr. Cadena at the module's launch.
- Decision by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan to initiate joint work with UNDP on introducing biodiversity expenditure tagging into the national public finance and budgeting system, and on reforming environmentally harmful subsidies — a commitment aligned with the global target under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to reduce or reform at least USD 500 billion in harmful subsidies by 2030.
Mr. Cadena further announced the allocation of an additional USD 490,000 under the BIOFIN Programme to support the implementation of these and other financial solutions prescribed by the national Biodiversity Finance Plan.
Key Agreements for Future Cooperation
Building on this strong foundation, the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the following priority areas:
1. Biodiversity Finance Plan Roadmap. Development and implementation of a practical roadmap for executing the Biodiversity Finance Plan, defining sequenced steps and mechanisms for each financial solution in alignment with national environmental and fiscal policy priorities.
2. Biodiversity Expenditure Tagging. Introduction of a budget tagging mechanism to systematically identify, track and report on public expenditures directed at biodiversity and ecosystem conservation within the state budget. This instrument will enhance the visibility of nature in fiscal planning, generate a regular analytical evidence base for informed decision-making, and support a sustained increase in public investment for the sector. Currently, biodiversity-related expenditure in Uzbekistan accounts for only 0.5% of the state budget — underscoring the urgency of this reform.
3. Harmful Subsidy Reform. UNDP BIOFIN will support national partners in conducting a comprehensive assessment of public subsidies with negative environmental impact, evaluating their economic efficiency and ecological footprint, and proposing strategies for their optimization and phased redirection toward nature-positive outcomes — accelerating Uzbekistan's transition to a green economy.
4. Biodiversity Offsets mechanism to compensate for damage to nature and ecosystems. Introduction of a regulatory instrument requiring mandatory assessment of the biodiversity impact of economic activities and establishing obligations for compensating for environmental damage through restoration measures or targeted financial contributions. The mechanism will create a clear regulatory framework for upholding the "no net loss" principle in investment and infrastructure projects, generate a sustainable non-budgetary source of nature conservation finance, and enhance the country's investment attractiveness through alignment with international environmental responsibility standards.
5. Results-Based Management Plans for Protected Natural Areas (PNAs) as a Budget Planning Tool. Introduction of a results-based approach that links SPNA funding to measurable biodiversity conservation outcomes, ensuring targeted and accountable use of public funds. Drawing on the successful experience of Kazakhstan — where a similar mechanism was piloted under the BIOFIN Programme and was shown to significantly improve accountability and operational efficiency in protected area management — this approach will strengthen the institutional capacity of Uzbekistan's SPNA system, improve the justification of budget requests, and ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the country's network of protected areas.
Looking Ahead to COP31
The parties further agreed to explore the possibility of presenting the results of joint UNDP–Uzbekistan projects, including those implemented under the BIOFIN Programme, at the Republic of Uzbekistan's national pavilion at COP31 — the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change — to be held at the Antalya Expo Center from 9 to 20 November 2026. COP31, co-led by Türkiye as host and Australia as President of Negotiations, will place strong emphasis on the implementation of NDCs 3.0, climate finance, and the interlinkages between climate and biodiversity.
About UNDP BIOFIN
The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) is a global programme led by UNDP, launched in 2012 and now active in more than 130 countries. It supports governments in measuring current biodiversity spending, identifying financing needs, and designing and implementing finance solutions to close national biodiversity finance gaps. To date, BIOFIN has helped partner governments unlock over USD 2.7 billion in finance for nature.
Website: www.biofin.org
About the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan
The National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change is the central executive body responsible for developing and implementing state policy in the field of environmental protection, nature management, and climate change in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
