Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- From 8 to 10 July, a mission from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) visited Uzbekistan. This visit was initiated by the Ministry of Ecology, Environment, and Climate Change, the national coordinating body for working with the GCF.

Led by Deputy Director of the Fund and Head of the Country Programming Department, Nonhlanhla Zindela, and Regional Program Manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Maxim Surkov, the delegation, together with the National Climate Change Center, held strategic discussions on systematizing and expanding the project portfolio in the field of climate change.

During the visit, technical aspects of developing a national program for financing climate projects in Uzbekistan were discussed. This program aims to support the most vulnerable sectors of the economy, such as water resource deficits, desertification, dust storms, energy efficiency, air quality, and climate resilience of cities and regions. Special attention was given to the project proposal for creating a Climate Technology Expo Hub in Muynak, put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at COP-28 in Dubai in 2023.

It is expected that the national program will be presented at the upcoming 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Discussions also focused on obtaining accreditation from the Ministry and local financial organizations in the GCF, which will significantly simplify Uzbekistan’s access to climate financing.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is an international fund established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to support developing countries in climate change adaptation and mitigation. 

The main goal of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is to mobilize financial resources for implementing climate projects. Currently, the GCF manages funds amounting to US$13.5 billion and has allocated up to US$51.9 billion in co-financing. These funds are provided by developed countries as part of the commitment to provide US$100 billion in total financing to support and finance climate projects in developing countries affected by climate change.