President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered an address at the plenary session of the World Leaders’ Summit held within the framework of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya.

The President outlined Uzbekistan’s key priorities and achievements in addressing climate change, transitioning to a green economy and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.

In particular, it was noted that the country had achieved its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 35% ahead of schedule. Uzbekistan plans to increase this target to 50% by 2035. It was also highlighted that water-saving technologies have been introduced across 60% of irrigated agricultural land, while the country’s forest areas have expanded to 6 million hectares.

One of the key initiatives put forward at the summit was the proposal to develop a Central Asian Climate Integration Model. This regional cooperation framework encompasses three priority areas:

• Information – sharing data on climate risks and developing early warning systems;
• Technology – promoting the widespread adoption of modern environmental solutions and innovations tailored to the region;
• Finance – developing preferential grant mechanisms and new sustainable financing instruments.

The President emphasised that climate-related challenges can only be addressed through collective efforts and called for the proposed model to be applied in other regions interested in such cooperation.

Climate resilience is the responsibility of the present generation and a vital guarantee of the well-being of future generations.