With overall funding of EUR 1.1 million for Belarus over the period of 2019-2022, the project will assist the Government of the Republic of Belarus to implement its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction commitments and climate resilient development under the Paris Agreement.
Given the direct and existential threat of the climate change, the European Union launched in 2019 a new regional initiative called EU4Climate, aiming to support the six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine) to develop and implement climate-related policies based on the countries’ commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Association and Partnership Agreements with the EU, the Eastern Partnership policy initiative “20 Deliverables for 2020,” (in particular the climate-related Deliverables 15 (“Enhance energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy; reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions”) and 16 (“Support the environment and adaptation to climate change”)) and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (in particular SDG 13 (“Climate Action”)). The project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.
The National Inception Workshop offered an opportunity for government officials and the representatives of various stakeholder groups to discuss priorities and next steps for “EU4Climate” implementation in Belarus until 2022. The project will support the development and implementation of climate-related policies in the Republic of Belarus.
“The EU is a front-runner in environment and climate change adaptation and mitigation areas with the Eastern Partnership countries playing an important role in our shared efforts to have a greener development. This new programme EU4Climate will support Belarus efforts in the monitoring and implementation of the reduction of CO2 emissions and promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation. It aims to limit climate change impacts on citizens’ lives and make them more resilient to it,” said Ms. Andrea Wiktorin, Head of the European Union Delegation to Belarus.
“Within the recent 10 years, UNDP in cooperation with its international partners has implemented in Belarus more than 10 projects with the total budget of more than $20 mln. These projects help the country to get ready to the challenges driven by the climate change. We highly appreciate our effective cooperation with the European Union in this direction. The support in the field of the climate change mitigation that we provide together to the Government of Belarus includes complex solutions combining measures of energy-efficient technology introduction, use of renewables, sustainable use of natural resources, protection and sustainable management of natural landscapes, waste management, creating green urban infrastructure,” admitted Ms. Alexandra Solovieva, UNDP Resident Representative.
“As the largest implementer of climate action in the UN System, UNDP works with countries to turn their climate goals into action. Based upon the previous successful experience and lessons from the EU-funded ClimaEast project, UNDP will help identify the climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches to better equip partners, cut greenhouse-gas emissions and mitigate climate change effects within EU4Climate project implementation in Belarus,” said Mr. Armen Grigoryan, Team Leader for Climate and Disaster Resilience at UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub.