From November 26 to 28, Dushanbe hosted the economic forum of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) “Green Development in the SPECA Region” and the 19th session of the SPECA Governing Council. Turkmenistan was represented at the events by a delegation led by Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy Babaniyaz Yalakow, according to the press service of the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Turkmen side outlined Turkmenistan’s positions on a number of key issues. Representatives of the republic noted that the development of a “green economy,” the use of new environmentally acceptable technologies, and the development of innovative solutions in the field of environmental protection are priority vectors of the country’s state policy.
Delegates emphasized that important directions for ensuring the dynamic and sustainable development of the national economy, protecting the environment, rational use of natural resources, and careful treatment of the country’s rich flora and fauna for future generations of Turkmen citizens include the development of renewable energy sources, primarily solar and wind energy.
Turkmen representatives also stressed that one of the directives for mitigation in the national climate change strategy is the development of measures to reduce methane emissions during the production, transportation, and distribution of natural gas.
In addition, participants noted that important tasks in the medium term for Turkmenistan and the SPECA region as a whole include reducing methane emissions, transitioning to the use of solar and wind energy, the possibility of producing “green” hydrogen, implementing measures to improve energy efficiency and energy conservation, the possibility of producing biomass energy, and informing the population about the benefits of using renewable energy sources, including conducting an information campaign in the media.
