President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov today, December 1, spoke at the High-Level Segment of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).

Here is the text of the speech of the Head of State:

“Dear Mr. Chairman,

Dear Heads of Delegations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I express my gratitude to His Highness the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for organizing the climate summit.

I hope that the summit will not only identify problems, but also make decisions that must be implemented without delay.

We cannot allow nothing to change after our meetings and things to go on as usual.

We must do everything in our power to ensure that this has a positive impact on the lives of our future generations.

According to experts, there is a sharp increase in temperature in Kyrgyzstan, as well as in Central Asia as a whole, than the global average.

Climate change has already led to intensive melting of glaciers and a reduction in the area of glaciation, a sharp increase in periods of drought and low water, deterioration of human health, as well as an increasing number of natural disasters.

This has had a very negative impact and is affecting key sectors of the economy, primarily energy and agriculture.

Damage from direct and indirect losses increases every year.

Glaciers located in the mountain ecosystems of Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia are vital for water, energy, food security and environmental stability.

According to the World Meteorological Organization's latest water report, the decline in glaciation in the Tian Shan and Pamir mountains, part of the Third Pole of the World, has negatively impacted vital rivers in the region.

In this regard, our country has been a consistent driver of the agenda for integrating mountain issues into international negotiations at all levels for more than twenty years.

We are grateful to all partners for their support of the initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic to adopt the resolution “Sustainable Mountain Development” at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, within the framework of which 2023–2027 was declared the Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions.

In implementing this initiative, we hope for the support of not only mountainous countries, but also all other countries in the implementation of the adopted Global Action Plan under this resolution of the UN General Assembly, since mountains are water towers that provide water to about 2 billion people.

Kyrgyzstan, understanding the importance of collective action, unites countries in the Group of Friends of Mountain Countries, and has also joined the Group of Friends of the Cryosphere and the Forum of Climate Vulnerable Countries - a platform that brings together countries that are most vulnerable to climate change and produce the least emissions.

We believe that with such efforts, Kyrgyzstan is making its feasible contribution to the overall efforts of the international community in the fight against climate change.

We call on the international community to support the efforts of mountain countries to address the climate and environmental problems of mountain ecosystems.

Dear Colleagues,

Kyrgyzstan, as a country with low greenhouse gas emissions, remains committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement and plans to reduce emissions by 16% from the “business as usual” scenario by 2030, and by 44% with international support.

By 2050, on the platform of “green” development, our country plans to achieve carbon neutrality.

To achieve these goals, Kyrgyzstan intends to implement projects in the field of renewable energy sources, including the construction of hydropower stations. We are currently using only 13% of the total potential of 142.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.

We look forward to funding from international development partners to realize our enormous hydropower potential.

We believe that through the launch of renewable energy projects, it is possible to achieve more efficient use and management of water resources in Kyrgyzstan and the region, taking into account the production of environmentally friendly energy, which will help strengthen the energy, environmental and food security of not only our country, but also other countries in the region.

We invite investors to invest in our “green” projects.

To attract investors, there is a constant process of improving the legislative framework aimed at improving the investment climate of the country, which provides preferential conditions for investors in the development of renewable energy sources.

A medium-term tariff policy for electricity has been adopted, which makes it possible to increase the efficiency and investment attractiveness of power plant construction projects.

A number of measures have been taken in the Kyrgyz Republic today aimed at the development of renewable energy sources and the introduction of energy-saving technologies.

RES entities are provided with preferences, benefits and tax breaks. The tariff for them is 5 US cents excluding taxes.

A Green Energy Fund has been created, which has the right to indefinite use of lands suitable for the use of renewable energy sources.

In 2021, Kyrgyzstan was one of the first in Central Asia to submit an updated Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement.

Currently, the NDC Implementation Plan has been developed, and the development of a long-term Concept for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is being completed, and the National Adaptation Plan is being prepared.

We are developing a program called “Establishing a National Framework for Increased Transparency under the Paris Agreement,” aimed at increasing the transparency of climate action in accordance with internationally recognized standards.

The Kyrgyz Republic is also actively implementing the national program “Jashyl Muras” to increase forest areas and more than 8 million plantations were planted in 2022 alone.

Dear participants,

Climate change, already obvious to everyone, shows that humanity is moving in the direction of self-destruction, emissions are breaking records, and the financial obligations of industrialized countries remain unfulfilled.

However, the goal of accumulating annual funding in the amount of $100 billion has not yet been achieved.

In accordance with the spirit of the Paris Agreement, I call on the international community, primarily developed countries, to more actively support developing vulnerable mountain countries, including through the early launch of the Loss and Damage Fund, the provision of direct financial support and the latest technologies on a free basis, and also the creation of mechanisms for exchanging external debt for climate projects.

Moreover, I would like to draw the attention of donor countries to the fact that the process and mechanism for obtaining available climate finance is complicated, financial resources are not concentrated and are distributed through a large number of different funds, institutions and institutions.

This, in my opinion, does not contribute to the efficient and equitable distribution of available financial resources.

I call on the world community, primarily developed donor countries, to do more targeted work on accumulating volumes of climate finance, simplifying the mechanisms for obtaining it and creating new mechanisms to support developing countries.

I am convinced that the creation of innovative mechanisms and investment instruments will help attract financial resources to support sustainable projects for adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

It is necessary to involve the private sector in accumulating climate finance.

It is important to strengthen partnerships between governments, the private sector and international financial institutions.

I hope that the issues of mountain ecosystems will be included as priority issues on the agenda of COP-28, similar to the issues of small island developing states, and we will actively work at subsequent Conferences of the Parties.

In conclusion, I would like to urge action now for the sake of future generations.

I am convinced that only together can we change course and lay the foundation for a safe and sustainable future for our planet.

Thank you for attention".