GREEN Action Task Force

Activities support national-level policy dialogues on priority issues for greening of the economy in selected EECCA countries, including in the context of the post-COVID recovery. Emphasis is placed on strengthening administrative capacity for environmental management and cross-ministerial coordination for green growth, including on job impacts of green policies. Work also informs policy development and facilitate political dialogue among Central Asian countries to address the energy-water-land use nexus in light of climate action and resource security in the region. The work supports the development of green growth measurement. Annual Meetings of the GREEN Action Task Force take stock of cross-cutting issues for greening of the economy.

Under EU4Environment “Towards a Green Economy” work supports the six countries of the EU’s Eastern Partnership with regional experience sharing and in-country development of “smarter” regulation of environmental performance of large enterprises as well as Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises. The activities include regional and country-specific activities to strengthen environmental compliance assurance, including compliance promotion and awareness raising, non-compliance responses, and instruments for environmental liability. Activities also support countries to improve the conditions for the transformation of EU trade-related agricultural and industrial value chains.

A primary aim is the continuation and enhancement of the National Policy Dialogues (NPDs) facilitated jointly by UNECE and OECD in both the EaP and Central Asia regions. Activities focus on the implementation of the EU4Environment “Water Resources and Environmental Data” project. OECD work focuses on strengthening the economic soundness of water strategies and policies and also finance mobilisation for priority actions. Work in Central Asia aims to enhance the inter-sectoral coordination for water security at the national level and focus on the economic and financial dimensions of water management and feed into the NPD process and work on the energy-water-land use nexus (under Programme Area 1).

Work on promoting sustainable infrastructure in Central Asia focus on low-carbon development through analyses of planned infrastructure projects and decision-making frameworks for infrastructure development and strategic planning. Activities support building national capacity on sustainability assessments to ensure environmental and socioeconomic sustainability of infrastructure projects and enhanced regional connectivity. In co-operation with the International Transport Forum, work supports decarbonising transport at the country-level, notably urban public transport and alongside large regional transport infrastructure.

In the area of green investment and finance activities support the EU’s Eastern Partner countries in the development of domestic public expenditure programmes and financial instruments; energy subsidy reform; mobilising private sector finance; and better use of international finance. Work with national financial institutions aims to enhance selection and preparation of green and low-carbon and climate resilient investment. Work on green investment and finance in Central Asia includes assessing the development of green bonds and other green financing mechanisms in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; the mainstreaming of ESG reporting into public and private finance in Kazakhstan; encouraging the use of environmental assessments (EIA, SEA) in Central Asia and financing long-term decarbonisation strategies.