Tashkent, 27 March 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Economy and Finance hosted the closure workshop of the joint project “Promoting Innovative Decarbonization Solutions through the Joint Crediting Mechanism and Demonstration of Decarbonization Potential of Public Buildings and Public Transport in Uzbekistan.” Funded by the Government of Japan, the initiative has supported pilots for decarbonization, strengthened evidence-based climate policy, and advanced Uzbekistan’s transition toward sustainable energy. The event brought together project implementers and beneficiaries, including local officials and representatives from schools and pre-schools, to review results and lessons learned, particularly on energy-efficiency pilots.
Five pilot initiatives in the Mirabad District of Tashkent and rural Syrdarya communities installed eight propane-based heat pumps and thirty-eight air conditioners in public facilities such as schools, kindergartens, and a polyclinic. These upgrades replaced outdated electric and coal-based systems, cutting coal use by 115 tons and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 482.3 tonnes annually. The advanced Japanese heat pumps provide three to four times more heat per unit of electricity, lowering energy costs and improving comfort for over 13,500 users, with a focus on children. Complementing this, an air-quality monitoring station on Shota Rustaveli Street in Tashkent benefits more than 120,000 residents by tracking air contamination levels.
The workshop also introduced Uzbekistan’s new National Methodology for Fossil Fuel Subsidy Inventory, developed according to international standards and piloted across selected energy carriers. Experts from the Center for Economic Research and Reforms presented its framework, data architecture, and monitoring, reporting, and verification processes, emphasizing its role in integrating subsidy data into national statistics and climate reporting. Participants reviewed a socio-economic and sectoral vulnerability assessment related to potential fossil fuel subsidy reforms, identifying sensitive sectors and population groups while offering policy recommendations to align reforms with climate commitments and the Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy.
The workshop concluded with discussions on scaling up proven results, including energy-efficient heating and cooling systems in Syrdarya and expanded air-quality and greenhouse-gas monitoring in Tashkent. These measures illustrate how targeted technical upgrades can improve environmental health and create opportunities for young people. UNDP highlighted that local ownership and inclusivity were key to the project’s success, with regional authorities and communities playing a central role in implementing energy efficiency and reducing emissions in public buildings.
The initiative is part of UNDP’s Climate Promise in partnership with Japan, which supports countries in translating Nationally Determined Contribution targets into actionable climate strategies. Japan, as the largest supporter of the program, works alongside partners such as Germany, Sweden, the European Union, and the United Kingdom to accelerate climate action. Since 2021, Pledge to Impact has assisted over 120 countries in enhancing and implementing their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, demonstrating the importance of collaborative, locally anchored decarbonization efforts.
