BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18. Uzbekistan reviewed progress on major environmental and climate initiatives launched by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
This was reflected in the statement by the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, following the video conference meeting chaired by Aziz Abdukhakimov, Adviser to the President and head of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change.
The reviewed initiatives were launched by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev following the 8th Assembly of the GEF, held earlier this month in Samarkand.
The meeting brought together senior officials from key ministries and government agencies, including foreign affairs, investment, economy and finance, energy, agriculture, water resources, construction, and urban development bodies, as well as regional authorities and representatives from across the country.
Opening the session, Abdukhakimov thanked relevant agencies for their role in organizing large-scale international environmental events and highlighted the significance of the GEF Assembly as the largest global environmental gathering ever held in the region.
Officials noted that the event included the 71st GEF Council session, an NGO forum, nine high-level roundtables, around 50 side events, more than 50 bilateral and multilateral meetings, and the Eco Expo Central Asia 2026 exhibition. In total, more than 8,500 experts from 150 countries participated.
According to officials, the Assembly resulted in agreements on national and regional projects worth over $50 million in GEF grants, while the Eco Expo Central Asia 2026 attracted $80 million in grants and more than $520 million in green investments. Around 300 agreements were signed in areas including renewable energy, water management, and waste recycling.
A key focus of the meeting was the implementation of President Mirziyoyev’s initiative to designate Samarkand as the “Green Investment and Innovation Capital of Central Asia,” aimed at transforming the city into a regional hub for green economy development, sustainable growth, and climate finance.
Participants also discussed plans to establish the Ulugbek Institute for Sustainable Development in partnership with Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development, as well as the creation of a National Center for Climate Change and Hydrometeorology. Cooperation with Kazakhstan on a cross-border “Clean Air” consortium was also reviewed.
Officials highlighted progress on the “Desert Economy” initiative in the Aral Sea region, focused on combating desertification and expanding climate resilience projects with international support.
The meeting also reviewed waste-to-energy projects, including plans to launch two plants this year and nine more in the next two years, with the capacity to process up to 5.5 million tons of waste annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.1 million tons.
In addition, participants discussed efforts to build an integrated environmental education system through Green University, which now coordinates 10 research institutes and 14 green technical schools, reaching nearly 2 million young people.
The meeting concluded with instructions to accelerate implementation of Uzbekistan’s green development agenda and strengthen international cooperation in environmental protection and climate resilience.
