With a population of around 3.73 million (2018), Georgia contributes as little as 0.03% to the total global GHG emissions and is amongst the lower range of the per capita footprint with 2.79 mt CO2e. The key emitter sectors were energy with 62%, followed by agriculture and industrial processes. In its First Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Georgia plans to unconditionally reduce its GHG emissions by 15% below the business as usual scenario for the year 2030, to be increased by 10%, subject to international cooperation. The 25% reduction would ensure that Georgian GHG emissions by 2030 will stay by 40% below the 1990 levels.
Georgia is considered highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, facing threats that include increased frequency and severity of droughts, flooding and landslides. These are expected to have serious implications for agriculture in particular, which is central to Georgia’s economy. A changing climate will also significantly impact the coastal zone. The most vulnerable sectors are agriculture, forestry, tourism, health and cultural heritage.
A central document is Georgia’s Low Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS), released in 2017, which sets sectoral targets for reducing emissions in energy, transport, construction, industry, agriculture and waste. At the same time, the government is developing a Climate Action Plan 2021-2030 to provide more detail and guide future climate policy developments. There are a number of other policies in place, which reflect Georgia’s focus on climate change adaptation and preparations for the challenges of the changing climate.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia is responsible for the development and implementation of national climate change policy, as well as co-ordination of international climate change negotiations.
Climate policy development and advancing cooperation with EU in Georgia
EU4Climate key policy interventions and expected impact
Georgia is a country that has already committed to low-emission development and one of the main objectives of the government is to improve the country’s preparedness and adaptive capacity by developing climate resilient practices that reduce the vulnerability of highly exposed communities. The government regularly highlights this as a main priority. Georgia, as a developing country, with limited capacity, needs additional support to its national efforts through international financial, technological and capacity building support.
EU4Climate Action, funded by the European Union, aims to support the development and implementation of climate-related policies by the Eastern Partnership countries. The project supports Georgia’s commitment to update and enhance the country’s NDC in 2020. The main tool for the successful implementation of the Georgian NDC is to update the existing mid-term Low-emission development strategy to a long term one, and mainstreaming climate change in the sectoral strategies. A robust domestic emissions monitoring, reporting and verification system will be established, to inform the government and the international community of the progress of its NDC implementation. Throughout the project EU and best international practices will be applied.
The EU4Climate project’s substantial activities started in Georgia in the second half of 2019, and laid the footing for a systematic implementation of the requirements of the Paris Agreement and the commitments of Georgia under it.
EU4Climate result areas and timeframe in Armenia
RESULT AREAS
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2019
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2020
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2021
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2022
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Q3
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Q4
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Q1
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Q2
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Q3
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Q4
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Q1
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Q2
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Q3
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Q4
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Q1
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Q2
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Q3
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Q4
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NDC
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Long-term LEDS
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MRV System
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EU Climate Acquis
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Climate mainstreaming
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Climate investment
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Adaptation planning
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EU4Climate Georgia: key results achieved in 2019
Implementation and update of NDCs
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Capacities of the policy makers to plan and update/enhance NDC were enhanced through a series of regional and national events. A regional NDC workshop was hosted by Georgia.
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Development of mid-century long-term LEDS
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Capacities of the policy makers on long-term low-emission development strategies enhanced via regional workshop in Moldova. Initiation of the process of development of LEDS
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Introduction of robust emissions monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) framework
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Cooperation and partnerships established with EU institutions and programmes in support of the robust national MRV system (Environment Agency Austria)
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Alignment with EU acquis included in bilateral agreements and Energy Community Treaty on Climate Action
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Analysed Georgian national climate change legislation against the EU climate acquis (gap analysis). Progress on developing technical regulations, sub-legal act on fluorinated gases
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Mainstreaming climate in economic sectors
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Capacity of governments increased on mainstreaming of climate policies and on adaptation planning, and mainstreaming of climate risks into national and sectoral planning processes, via two regional workshops
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Adaptation planning
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Enhanced capacity for national adaptation planning, with special focus on adoption and when necessary development of adaptation plans (national and sectoral), via regional workshop
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