During the meeting, Gairat Mukhamedov, Director of the State Environmental Expertise Center, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the Center’s activities and the ongoing efforts to enhance the national environmental impact assessment system. He noted that more than 69,800 environmental opinions had been issued by the Center during 2025–2026. In the first half of 2026 alone, over 20,000 project proposals were reviewed, with 88.5 percent receiving positive environmental opinions.

Particular attention was given to the introduction of modern digital solutions. The eco-service.uz portal has fully digitalized environmental impact assessment procedures, enabling applicants to monitor every stage of the process—from application submission to the issuance of the final environmental opinion. The Center is also advancing the integration of artificial intelligence into environmental impact assessment procedures, expanding international cooperation, and pursuing the establishment of an Aarhus Centre in Uzbekistan.

The meeting also highlighted the Center’s efforts to promote public participation in environmental decision-making. During 2025–2026, more than 2,700 public hearings were conducted with the participation of approximately 29,000 citizens. Thanks to active engagement with the public and civil society institutions, a number of projects were returned for revision or did not receive approval.

Saidjakhon Khasanov, Vice-Rector for Research at Green University, presented an overview of the university’s achievements. He noted that, over the past three years, the university has evolved into a unified national platform integrating environmental education, scientific research, and professional training. Currently, Green University has 292 students enrolled, offering four undergraduate and seven master's degree programmes while maintaining partnerships with more than 70 international institutions.

It was also emphasized that the university is actively strengthening its research capacity. Over the past three years, its researchers have published 511 scientific papers, secured international grant funding exceeding €3.6 million, established more than 20 research laboratories, and implemented projects in the fields of climate science, biodiversity conservation, water resources and the green economy.

As part of its Development Strategy through 2030, Green University aims to become the leading environmental university in Central Asia, achieve inclusion in the international QS, Times Higher Education (THE), and GreenMetric rankings, expand its academic programmes, and strengthen its role as a regional hub for environmental education and research.

During the meeting, members of the Public Council also discussed the establishment of the Aarhus Centre, further improvements to environmental impact assessment mechanisms, expanding public participation in environmentally significant decision-making processes, supporting youth initiatives, and promoting environmental awareness and culture.

At the conclusion of the meeting, members of the Public Council highly commended the work of the State Environmental Expertise Center and Green University, recognizing their significant contribution to the development of the country's environmental policy, their commitment to transparency and their effective engagement with the public.