Moldova maps its way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with 64-67 per cent below its 1990 level by 2030.This is the country’s unconditional target committed as part of Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 and ratified by the country in May 2017.

Discussions on a roadmap and future action plan were organized on 23 June 2017, in Chisinau, by the UNDP and the Ministry of Environment.

“To achieve this Agreement at both national and international level, there is a need to develop a series of legislative procedures that will guide, promote and monitor the implementation process of the Paris Agreement. This regulatory framework must ensure the promotion and implementation of the 5 essential elements of the Agreement, namely: the sustainability of a long-term objective in the aspect of mitigating the climate change phenomenon, ensuring the contribution, ambition, transparency and solidarity”, said Inga Podoroghin, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment.  

Representatives of central authorities, development partners, civil society and private sector discussed how to better coordinate achievement of the emissions reduction targets by 2030, under the existing resources’ constraints.

Moldova could achieve a better result, of 78% decrease in emissions, if the following conditions would be met:

• a global agreement reached addressing important topics including low-cost financial resources, technology transfer, and technical cooperation, accessible to all at a scale commensurate to the challenge of global climate change;
• mobilized funds in amount of around 340 million USD per year, in the timeframe 2016-2030.

Being part of the Agreement, new windows of opportunities are opened for Moldova: possibilities to access financing mechanisms under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“2016 was the world’s hottest year for the sixth consecutive years, with global temperatures approximately 1.2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The rate of atmospheric concentrations of major greenhouse gases continued to increase and reached the highest level ever. In Moldova, climate induced disasters such as late frost, hail, flood and drought are occurring more frequently and on a recurring basis, causing on average as much as 4 million US dollars per year of economic damage.  UNDP is partnering with the Government, civil society and the private sector to raise awareness and strengthen climate change mitigation and adaptation capacities, critically important to safeguard our planet, protect the people, including the most vulnerable and marginalized, and improve the lives of all of us”, noted Silvia Pana-Carp, Programme Analyst Climate Change, Environment and Energy Cluster, UNDP Moldova.

In practical terms, Moldova would have to focus on measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change, such as: energy efficient lightning and infrastructure, extensive use of renewables, afforestation, practicing organic agriculture, minimizing use of fertilizers, and switching to no-till agricultural systems.

A series of similar consultations is being organized in the region of Europe and Central Asia, with UNDP support.