Proactive Climate Diplomacy of Uzbekistan

The 29-th United Nations Climate Conference, COP29 opens today, on November 11 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Uzbekistan is going to actively participate in this event with new initiatives aimed at effectively addressing climate challenges, particularly in Central Asia. This region becomes increasingly vulnerable to climate change, as rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns disrupt ecosystems and lead to more frequent extreme droughts, floods, and heatwaves.

All these challenges directly affect Uzbekistan, situated at the heart of Central Asia. For years, the country has been suffering from the consequences of a global environmental disaster — the drying up of the Aral Sea. Droughts in the region may become more frequent due to the decreased river runoff, particularly from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers.

Uzbekistan has been a party to the Paris Agreement since 2017 and is implementing its Green Economy Strategy for the period 2019–2030. The country is also actively tapping into the potential of renewable energy development. It is especially rich in solar and wind energy sources.

Climate change adaptation measures are another priority direction, given that Uzbekistan is experiencing rapid desertification. In particular, significant attention is given to minimizing the impacts of the Aral Sea drying up. For instance, successful afforestation of 2 million hectares on the dry seabed has reduced air pollution in the Aral Sea region. By 2030, an additional 600,000 hectares of green areas are planned, bringing the total coverage to 80% of the dried Aral Sea bed.

Undoubtedly, these national-level measures are insufficient for successfully combating climate change. These realities place the need for proactive climate diplomacy at the core of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy.

Special attention should be given to the Regional Program “Green Agenda” for Central Asia, initiated by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 3rd Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State three years ago.

A logical continuation of creating a unified climate agenda for Central Asia was Uzbekistan’s initiative to develop a Regional Strategy on Climate Change Adaptation, announced during the 5th meeting of the heads of state.

Additionally, the President of Uzbekistan proposed establishing a multilateral platform called the “Central Asian Climate Dialogue” at the level of ecology ministers, intended to serve as an integrating link towards “green” development for Central Asian countries.

Uzbekistan also actively utilizes multilateral international platforms to highlight and draw partners’ attention to climate issues.

For instance, at last year’s OBOR forum in China, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed developing a Green Development Program and creating a Green Financing Fund to support a low-carbon economy and clean technologies.

At the 2023 Central Asia–GCC Summit in Jeddah, the Uzbek leader proposed joint projects in the green energy sector with financial support from the Gulf Arab countries.

The UN Climate Conference in Dubai (COP28) last year was another platform where President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on the global community for action and collective human responsibility in the fight against climate change.

He emphasized that Uzbekistan advocates for the early coordination of the Global Framework Mechanism for Climate Change Adaptation under the Paris Agreement and announced that an Adaptation Strategy is being developed within the framework of the Central Asian Climate Dialogue.

In Dubai, it was also proposed that global warming issues be considered on a permanent basis, including at the G7 and G20 summits.

Undoubtedly, Uzbekistan will continue to promote proactive climate diplomacy, primarily to address regional environmental challenges in Central Asia amid the growing vulnerability of these countries to natural disasters. In this context, it is expected that the country’s leader will present a range of new global and regional initiatives during the upcoming COP29 in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.