greenhouse gas - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 5

Climate Action

Kyrgyzstan Releases Its First Climate Action Transparency Report

On October 7, Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, and Technical Supervision unveiled its first Biennial Climate Action Transparency Report, marking a key step in aligning with international climate obligations. The report was developed with contributions from government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It outlines the country’s progress in addressing climate change, current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate risk preparedness, and the external support it has received. According to the report, Kyrgyzstan’s total GHG emissions in 2023 amounted to 19.38 million tons of CO₂ equivalent. At the same time, the country’s forests, soils, and other ecosystems absorbed 10.31 million tons, resulting in net emissions of 9.07 million tons of CO₂ equivalent. The report notes that this “climate safety net” provides a valuable natural buffer that should be protected and expanded. The energy sector remains the largest source of emissions, accounting for more than half of the total. However, emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating have declined significantly since the early 1990s, largely due to the adoption of cleaner technologies and improved energy efficiency. Agriculture is the second largest contributor to emissions, primarily driven by livestock farming, with levels remaining relatively stable over recent decades. The submission of the transparency report is a requirement under the Paris Agreement, the international climate treaty signed by Kyrgyzstan in 2016. Beyond fulfilling a global commitment, transparent reporting is also a pathway to unlocking funding from international financial institutions, climate funds, and private investors. According to the report, improved transparency can help attract investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable water management, climate-smart agriculture, and disaster risk reduction, critical elements in Kyrgyzstan’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Carbon Emission

Kazakhstan Considers Carbon Accounting System to Boost Emissions Transparency

Aydar Kazybayev, co-founder of the National Academy of Corporate Governance, has proposed the introduction of a carbon accounting system in Kazakhstan. He argues that such a system would enable the automatic calculation of greenhouse gas emissions at industrial enterprises and ensure more transparent and objective reporting. “Today in Kazakhstan, greenhouse gas emission reports remain virtually unchanged, and in some cases have worsened. This is due to different companies conducting annual verifications without a unified verification history,” Kazybayev said at the Central Asia Thermal Power Forum. He announced that a digital platform is scheduled for launch by the end of the year, aimed at integrating all combined heat and power (CHP) plants into a single emissions database. The system would allow companies to maintain carbon records independently via an aggregator or delegate the task to operators managing centralized “carbon accounts.” “Our main objective is to reduce the administrative burden on companies required to submit such reports,” Kazybayev emphasized. According to Kazakhstan’s most recent official submissions to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), total greenhouse gas emissions stood at 375.4 million tons in 2020, declined to 328.4 million tons in 2021, and rose again to 353 million tons in 2022. The energy sector remains the largest contributor, accounting for 288.5 million tons in 2020, 251.4 million in 2021, and 281.9 million in 2022. Kazybayev also cited technological innovations in China as potential models. Specifically, he highlighted China’s Smart Green Energy platform, which enables real-time monitoring of coal consumption and emissions, and generates both daily and annual reports. This system, currently in use at all coal-fired power plants in China, costs approximately $30,000. “Such tools would be highly beneficial for Kazakhstan. They help accurately estimate resource usage and identify inefficiencies,” Kazybayev explained. He also pointed to China’s modernization of coal-fired thermal power plants, where heat pumps and geothermal technologies are being adopted. These systems extract thermal energy from the air, ground, or water and integrate it into heating networks. Air pollution remains a critical concern across Central Asia. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the World Bank has attributed over 65,000 premature deaths annually to regional air pollution.

Environment

United States Supports Uzbekistan’s Methane Reduction Efforts

The U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan reports that a joint project between GasGreen Asia LLC, a subsidiary of Maryland-based Climate Compass, and Uzbekistan’s national gas distribution company, Hududgazta’minot JSC, has been engaged in detecting and repairing natural gas leaks within the country’s national gas distribution system. This project contributes to the country’s green economy transition and commitments under the Global Methane Pledge. Climate Compass, LLC is a world leader in providing logistical and technical services for greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects. A Korean carbon finance company, Ecoeye Co., Ltd., is the principal investor of the project, which began in March 2023. Since the project’s inception, over 50,000 individual methane leaks have been identified, measured, and repaired, reducing over seven million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year. The project has created more than 200 local jobs, including engineers, data specialists, and project managers, who received intensive training from American technical experts. The repairs have generated tens of millions of dollars in savings for Hududgazta’minot by preventing gas losses and contributing to significant environmental benefits. At the September 24 event highlighting the project’s significant achievements, U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick said: “The United States welcomes Uzbekistan’s commitment to a broad-based transition to a green economy. This project supports Uzbekistan’s efforts to attract foreign direct investment while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” According to Henick, the United States strongly supported Uzbekistan’s decision to join the Global Methane Pledge in 2022, an initiative to reduce methane emissions worldwide. Methane reduction is critical to Uzbekistan’s efforts to meet its nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. According to the United Nations Environment Program, methane emissions have accounted for approximately 30 percent of global warming and are an increasingly growing challenge. According to the “Methane in Central Asia: Emissions, Trends, Actions” report, Uzbekistan’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remained largely stable and declined slightly over the past 15 years, ranging between 180 and 200 million tons of CO2-equivalent or 5 tons per person. The report says the country’s energy sector is responsible for 75–80 percent of GHG emissions, including 50 percent from fuel combustion and 25–30 percent from methane leaks in the coal, oil, and gas sectors, the equivalent of 50 million tons of CO2. Uzbekistan has successfully decoupled GHG emissions from economic growth and intends to reduce the specific GHG emissions per GDP by 35 percent by 2030 compared to the 2010 level.