PMCG Presents at 8th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum
On 27-28 August, PMCG delivered a presentation at the Eighth CAREC Think Tank Development Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In particular, PMCG’s Research Director, Giorgi Khishtovani, in a segment entitled “Exploring Opportunities in Emissions Trading Systems among CAREC Countries,” explained how linking emissions trading systems (ETSs) can boost climate resilience in the CAREC region.
The purpose of the forum as a whole was to stimulate meaningful policy discussion, and it convened diverse stakeholders – including think tanks, policymakers, and the wider CAREC community – to pinpoint viable policy approaches and solutions to make the region more resistant to the effects of climate change.
“At the Eighth CAREC Think Tank Development Forum, we had a great opportunity to present the findings of our policy paper on the potential of linking Emissions Trading Systems (ETS) within the CAREC region. This is a crucial step in addressing the significant climate challenges that Central Asia faces.
By learning from existing experiences, we’ve pinpointed ways to lower emissions, reduce compliance costs, and strengthen climate policies across the region. This kind of regional integration is crucial, and the CAREC platform provides the ideal environment for member countries to align their strategies, share best practices, and build the technical and institutional capacity needed for successful ETS implementation.”
Stated Khishtovani
Referring to how PMCG’s work had significant relevance to the event, Khishtovani also noted:
“The forum’s focus on collective action ties in perfectly with our findings—working together through linked ETSs can make real progress toward our shared decarbonization goals. We are proud to contribute to this dialogue and are excited about the role our research will play in advancing sustainable climate action across the CAREC region.”
Specifically, during the presentation, Khishtovani highlighted that, to date, of all CAREC countries, only China and Kazakhstan have implemented ETSs, and that wider proliferation of these systems across the region would potentially bring a number of benefits. The main such advantages underlined in his presentation were reduced costs, market growth, and more strident commitment to climate-related goals. At the same time, he acknowledged certain impediments to ETSs that will need to be overcome such as infrastructural challenges and the high demand for technical expertise and financial resources.
He concluded by listing recommendations to enhance support for (and understanding of) the positive aspects of ETSs, as well as to boost technical capacity, foster knowledge exchange, and promote dialogue among CAREC nations to counter climate change cohesively.
The forum, which occurs on an annual basis, gathered around 120 participants including multilateral development partners, CAREC diplomats, government representatives, and private sector actors, while the media were also in attendance.
Numerous other key topics were also addressed such as strategies to achieve balanced economic growth while cutting carbon emissions, the CAREC region’s vulnerability to natural disasters and the need for a coordinated policy response.
