UNDP together with the British Embassy in Turkmenistan convened the fourth coordination meeting of the Climate Group of Development Partners

September 6, 2022

UNDP together with the British Embassy in Turkmenistan convened the fourth coordination meeting of the Climate Group of Development Partners

UNDP Turkmenistan

Ashgabat, 6 September 2022: Today, UNDP and the British Embassy in Turkmenistan in a hybrid format convened a Coordination meeting of the Climate Group of Development Partners aimed at continuing the established dialogue to accelerate the efforts of the Government of Turkmenistan to implement its international commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. 

The meeting served as a forum to provide an update on post-COP26 activities and discuss preparations for the upcoming COP27 Climate Summit to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022.

“The importance of this series of meetings cannot be underestimated. Overcoming the climate crisis requires strong partnerships and consolidated actions,” – noted Ms. Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan. “Many countries, including Turkmenistan, are increasingly including adaptation priorities in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to demonstrate their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement. UNDP stands ready to join hands with other development partners to support the country in addressing climate change issues and achieving its climate goals.”

“It is so important that we all work together to tackle the causes and effects of climate change and this group is a way of bringing all of us together to do just that – Government, Embassies, the UN and implementers,” - said Ms. Lucia Wilde, British Ambassador to Turkmenistan. “We discussed preparations for COP27, the Government of Turkmenistan’s new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and methane emissions among other subjects. I look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation in the lead-up to COP27”.

“UN agencies support the implementation of the National Climate Change Strategy and the Aral Sea Action Plan and continue to raise public awareness of the climate change emergency,” – said Mr. Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident coordinator in Turkmenistan during the meeting. “Many UN agencies are involved in enhancing climate education, as this will be critical for the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of national climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.” 

During the meeting, the participants discussed Turkmenistan’s priorities within the framework of recently approved Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), which was developed with the support of UNDP and the initiative of Turkmenistan to establish the Regional Center for Climate Change Technologies for Central Asian countries in Ashgabat. The development partners provided updates on their current activities and planned projects to support Turkmenistan in achieving the goals of its national commitments to combat climate change.

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The Coordination Meeting of the Climate Group of Development Partners is convened regularly and serves as a strong coordination mechanism for developing and providing valuable support to Turkmenistan’s efforts on climate action and building resilience.