With a population of around 3.73 million (2018) , Georgia contributes 0.03% to the total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and has a per capita footprint of 2.37t CO₂e. Georgia’s GHG emissions decreased by 72% (nearly 13 Mio t CO₂eq) between 1990 and 1995. The lowest value has been reported for 2001 with 9,6 Mio t CO₂eq, since then emissions have increased to 17,8 Mio t CO₂eq in 2017. This is also caused by a strong increase in GDP (+56% between 2010 and 2017), dominated by the service sector. The increased economic activity in connection to a decrease in population by 16%, the GDP per capita shows a remarkable increase of 86%, while GHG per GDP dropped by 39%.
The energy sector has the highest emissions (excluding LULUCF) followed by agriculture, production and industry, and waste:

In 2020, Georgia updated its National Determined Contribution (NDC) with an increased ambition compared to the INDC 2015. According to the updated NDC, Georgia unconditionally commits to reduce its GHG emissions by 35% below the reference year of 1990. Furthermore, subject to international support and international effort on a 2 or 1.5-degree pathway, Georgia conditionally commits to reduce its GHG emissions by 50-57% below the reference year of 1990. The NC4 reports an increase in the mean annual ground air temperature in 1986-2015, compared to 1956-1985, – in the range of 0.25-0.58°C. The average increase in the territory of Georgia is 0.47°C. During the same period, the annual precipitation in western Georgia has mainly increased, while it decreased in some eastern regions. Average temperatures in Georgia have increased steadily since the 1960s and are projected to rise by more than the global average by the end of the 21st century. By the 2090s, the average temperature in Georgia is projected to increase between 1.4°C to 4.9°C above the 1986-2005 baseline, depending on the emission pathways from low to high concentrations. The frequency of heat waves is projected to increase significantly by the 2090s under higher emissions pathways, representing major risks to human health, livelihoods, and biodiversity.

Georgia is considered highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, facing threats that include increased frequency and severity of droughts (1), flooding (2), landslides (3).

These are expected to have serious implications for agriculture in particular, which is central to the Georgian economy.

A changing climate will also significantly impact the coastal zone. The most vulnerable sectors are agriculture, forestry, tourism, health and cultural heritage.

The EU4Climate Programme, funded by the European Union, aims to support the development and implementation of climate-related policies by the Eastern Partnership countries. The EU4Climate initiative supports Georgia in elaborating its long-term low emission development strategy and mainstreaming climate in the sectoral strategies. A robust domestic emissions monitoring, reporting and verification system will be established, to inform the government and the international community on the progress of its NDC implementation. Throughout the programme, the best international and EU practices will be applied.