BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 11. Uzbekistan intends to increase the share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources (RES) to 54% over the next four years, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), held in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 11.
According to the press service of the President of Uzbekistan, Mirziyoyev noted that the country is consistently developing a new development model based on the rational use of natural resources and the introduction of green technologies.
He said that Uzbekistan had achieved its previous target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 35% ahead of schedule. The country has now set a new target of reducing this indicator by 50% by 2035.
The President emphasized that increasing green energy generation is essential to ensuring a balance between economic development and environmental protection.
Particular attention in his address was devoted to the rational use of water resources. Over the past ten years, the water intensity of Uzbekistan's economy has nearly halved, while water withdrawals have decreased by one-fifth. The introduction of water-saving technologies has already covered more than 60% of irrigated land.
Starting in 2027, Uzbekistan will assume the chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). Mirziyoyev stated that the country intends to fulfill this important mission at the highest level, with particular emphasis on transboundary basin management.
As part of its land restoration efforts, Uzbekistan has increased the area of forest plantations by 6 million hectares. One-third of the newly planted areas are located in the Aral Sea region.
In addition, Uzbekistan is implementing a Waste Management Strategy, under which investment is expected to exceed $3 billion.
Mirziyoyev also identified environmental education for young people as one of the priorities of state policy. According to him, fostering a responsible attitude toward nature begins in the family, mahalla (local community), and school, where children are taught from an early age to conserve water, care for trees, and keep their surroundings clean.
The President noted that one in every five people in the country is a school pupil or university student. Thanks to a systematic approach, three-quarters of Uzbekistan's population are expected to receive nature-oriented education by 2050.
Thus, the country's environmental policy encompasses not only the development of renewable energy and emissions reduction, but also water conservation, land restoration, waste management, and environmental education.
