A government session was held urgently to approve the action plan on climate change for 2024-2025. The Georgian government is always committed to making Georgia a leading country in climate change.
It is noteworthy that Georgia prepared and approved the Nationally Determined Contribution Document (NDC) in 2021 to fulfil its obligations under the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and the Georgia-European Union Agreement. The NDC of 2021 defined the target indicators for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The approved action plan includes the measures that will be taken in the country in the next two years from the climate change perspective.These measures will be taken in seven sectors of the country’s economy which include the following sectors as well:
• Generation and transmission of energy
• Transportation
• Buildings
• Business
• Agriculture
• Waste management
• Forestry
According to official information the general budget amount is 3694328186 GEL. Moreover a significant share of funding is coming for infrastructure projects in the energy and waste sectors. It also mentioned that the construction of wind, solar, and hydropower plants would be the priority direction in the energy sector.
At the same time in the waste management sector it is important to set up new dumps and upgrade existing dumps as well as to construct urban wastewater treatment sites.
Under the approved action plan the transport sector is also an important aspect whose priority is non-motorized mobility. This includes modernising metro stations, promoting the development of passenger transport, and arranging bicycles and public transport, especially in Tbilisi. Also implementing a technical mechanism for controlling the emission level from cars is a new aspect covered under the new action plan.
In the agriculture sector emphasis will be placed on improving sustainable windswept management and raising awareness about the slower implementation and popularisation of climate-wise agricultural practices.
On the other hand to strengthen the forest sector’s carbon absorption capabilities, reforestation and reforestation measures are planned in the area of degraded forest. Similarly, special attention will be paid to improving sustainable forest management (forest management plans will be prepared for 5 forest districts, and a forest information and monitoring system will be refined).
It was noted during the meeting that if the measures determined by the climate action plan 2021 and 2023 and the new 2024-2025 were not implemented, Georgia would have an emission of 10-12% more climate change gases.
The new two-year plan will allow Country to keep emissions below 10-12%. This is particularly important for Georgia as an EU candidate country to achieve the ambitious goals set in line with EU policies on climate change.
It is also important to note that the document was prepared with the active involvement and participation of relevant agencies and some public consultations were held with all stakeholders involvement.
