Ashgabat, 30 May 2022: Within the framework of the joint project of UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan "Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza”,  a training seminar "Introducing international experience in the development of regulatory and technical documents for the promotion of renewable energy sources in Turkmenistan"  was held in an online format.

The event was attended by specialists from the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan, teachers and students of the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan (SEIT, Mary), specialists from the Research and Production Center "Renewable Energy Sources" (RES) at the SEIT, as well as specialists and international consultants of the above mentioned UNDP project.

The purpose of the webinar is to inform participants about the development of a new sector of the electric power industry - renewable energy, to study international experience in the development of the renewable energy regulatory framework and best practices, as well as the introduction of innovative energy-efficient technologies in the electric power industry.

During the meeting participants learnt about the activities carried out jointly by the specialists of the Ministry of Energy, SEIT and the UNDP project on developing the regulatory legal acts on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, including the National Strategy for the Development of Renewable Energy of Turkmenistan for the Period until 2030 (approved by the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan on 4 December 2020), the Law of Turkmenistan “On Renewable Energy Sources” (adopted by the Mejlis of Turkmenistan on  March 13, 2021) and the draft of the new Law of Turkmenistan “On Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving".

***

The project "Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza”, funded by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and UNDP, is aimed at promoting the development of sustainable cities and reducing the negative impacts of urban growth in the country, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, impact of increasing energy consumption and household waste, as part of the country’s efforts to achieve the socio-economic development goals.

The joint practical steps for the development of renewable energy sources in Turkmenistan and the introduction of innovative energy efficiency technologies in the electricity industry allow reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and thus, contribute to the country's efforts to fulfill its international obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement.