National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

At the summit, Parties to the Paris Agreement — collectively responsible for two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions — presented or announced the preparation of updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). For the first time, major economies, including China and Nigeria, outlined comprehensive economy-wide emission reduction targets. Other countries set out new commitments on renewable energy expansion, methane reduction, forest protection and the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels.

Experts, however, cautioned that these measures may still fall short of what is needed to avert climate catastrophe. “The stakes could not be higher,” a UN representative warned, recalling that this past summer the world experienced devastating floods, droughts, and record-breaking heatwaves that have “ravaged continents.” Scientists emphasized that human-induced global warming is intensifying the scale of climate disasters and poses even greater risks for the future.

In his address, the UN Secretary-General stressed that “science demands action, the economy makes the case, and people are calling for it.” He underlined that the transition to clean energy creates jobs, strengthens economic resilience, and reduces dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets. According to him, COP30 must serve as a turning point at which the world adopts a “credible global action plan” to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Speaking at the summit, Deputy Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jusipbek Kazbekov outlined the country’s achievements and plans. He noted that under Uzbekistan’s current NDC 2.0, the republic has already achieved a 34.8% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, nearly fulfilling its existing commitments. Work is now being finalized on the new NDC 3.0, which will be presented at COP30 in Belém.

Uzbekistan’s key targets were presented as follows:

– expanding renewable energy generation capacity to 25,000 MW and increasing its share in the energy mix to 54% within five years;

– doubling energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy;

– increasing solid municipal waste collection to 95%, with 35% recycled for energy recovery;

– expanding forested areas to 6.1 million hectares, including large-scale afforestation in the Aral Sea region;

– increasing the share of protected natural areas to 14.5% of the country’s territory;

– achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

It should be noted that under the Paris Agreement, countries are required to update and communicate their NDCs every five years. Although the deadline for submitting targets for 2035 expired in February, only 47 countries — accounting for about 24% of global emissions — have done so to date. Major emitters, including the European Union and India, remain behind schedule, while some of the submitted plans have been criticized for lacking ambition. Against this backdrop, the New York summit and the forthcoming COP30 in Belém are gaining heightened importance, as they will shape the next steps of global climate policy.

The Climate Summit in New York marked an important milestone on the road to COP30 in Brazil. The initiatives and new commitments announced demonstrate that, despite global challenges and uncertainties, countries remain determined to confront climate change.

Uzbekistan’s participation highlighted the country’s readiness to continue fulfilling its climate commitments and to raise the level of ambition under NDC 3.0. This will help strengthen the republic’s position in the international climate process and expand cooperation with partners in the fields of ecology and sustainable development.