*[Enwl-eng] 🌍 CAN EECCA Newsletter: Renewables Are Growing — But Water Keeps Disappearing
ecology
ecology at iephb.nw.ru
Wed May 28 01:21:00 MSK 2025
Climate Activism and Green Transition in EECCA
Climate Change and Energy News:
Weekly Digest by CAN EECCA
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Dear subscribers,
Green projects are picking up across the
region — but will that be enough to stop the losses? Ukraine, Georgia,
Moldova, and Uzbekistan are betting on clean energy: building solar plants,
retrofitting public buildings, and launching new environmental centers.
Meanwhile, others are already facing the impacts of climate change: the
Caspian Sea is shrinking, Tajikistan’s glaciers are melting, chlorine leaks
are reported in Kazakhstan, and wildfires are raging across 2 million
hectares in Russia. Kyrgyzstan joins the global net-zero commitment, while
Belarus turns to nature-based solutions to fight fires. At the global level,
tropical forests are disappearing — and the race for control over the Arctic
is heating up.New opportunities for activists — at the end of the issue.
We’re always open to hearing your thoughts,
ideas, or stories — don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Sincerely,
The CAN EECCA Team
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News from the EECCA Region
Maia Bitadze: Georgia plays a key role in
connecting the energy markets of Europe and Asia
“Georgia, with its significant potential for
renewable energy production, is actively working to align its national
energy policy with European Union legislation and standards. In particular,
the National Energy and Climate Integrated Plan, adopted by Parliament in
2024, outlines comprehensive measures through 2030, including the reduction
of greenhouse gas emissions, the accelerated adoption of renewable energy,
and seamless integration of energy systems,” she emphasized.
Green guarantees: What’s happening in
Ukraine’s electricity market
According to Boston Consulting Group (BCG),
Ukraine’s renewable energy sector is expected to double by 2040: the share
of renewables in the national energy mix will grow from 15% (2022 level) to
28% and continue rising, making Ukraine’s power grid significantly “greener”
than in many EU countries. This was stated by BCG Senior Expert Balit
Silhavi at the “We Build Ukraine” conference.
Uzbekistan to open Central Asian
Environmental Research Center
Uzbekistan will establish a Central Asian
Environmental Research Center at Green University in collaboration with
China. The center will serve as a platform for joint scientific research,
professional training, and technology exchange. A memorandum was signed by
representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and the Xinjiang Institute of
Ecology and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
How Belarus is fighting wildfires: Hope on
horseback
When humans eliminate large predators and
herbivores or drastically reduce their numbers, it triggers a domino effect
in ecosystems that leads to environmental degradation. To reverse this,
people are turning to rewilding — a conservation approach aimed at restoring
natural food chains and ecological processes disrupted by human activity.
Tajikistan’s role in protecting mountain
glaciers
Home to over 13,000 glaciers, Tajikistan
plays a crucial role in preserving Central Asia’s water resources. More than
60% of the region’s water originates in the country, making glacier
protection not only a national issue but a regional one. In the context of
global climate change, Tajikistan has become a key initiator and participant
in numerous programs aimed at conserving these vital natural assets.
Azerbaijan: Addressing Caspian Sea drying
requires joint action
Over the past 20 years, the Caspian Sea’s
water level has dropped by nearly three meters, and the coastline has
receded by 15–20 kilometers — a worrying trend with serious implications for
the region’s economic stability. On May 22, Azerbaijan's presidential
representative on climate issues, Mukhtar Babayev, emphasized during the
session “The Caspian: Cooperation for the Future” at the XI Nevsky
International Environmental Congress that solving this problem is only
possible through collective regional efforts.
Kyrgyzstan joins global zero waste
commitment
Kyrgyzstan has officially joined the Global
Commitment to Zero Waste. The document was signed on behalf of the country
by Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration Ravshanbek Sabirov.
Although the commitment is declarative and not legally binding, it grants
access to a wide range of international opportunities — from technology and
knowledge exchange to participation in global projects and attracting
investment.
Armenia: A small country with a big
biodiversity story
One year before hosting the 17th Conference
of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Armenia
offers six key lessons to the world. Known for its ancient monasteries and
growing agritourism, this small South Caucasus nation is now gaining
attention for its biodiversity conservation efforts. In 2026, Armenia will
host COP17, marking a major step in its environmental leadership.
Kazakhstan: Chlorine release in
Ust-Kamenogorsk still affecting air quality
Residents continue to report chemical odors,
coughing, and breathing issues following a chlorine incident at the
Ust-Kamenogorsk Titanium Magnesium Plant. Visibility dropped to less than 20
meters during the night due to a dense fog-like cloud. The regional
communication service explained that the issue arose during unplanned
cleaning of the chlorination system, which caused internal coating to
dislodge and temporarily blocked the gas duct.
Moldova: Parliament approves INSPIREE
project — €73 million for energy efficiency
Moldova’s Parliament ratified a credit
agreement with the French Development Agency to implement the INSPIREE
project. Thirty public buildings, including universities and hospitals, will
be modernized for greater energy efficiency. Planned improvements include
insulation, upgraded heating and ventilation systems, and equipment
replacement. The project aims to reduce energy consumption by up to 60%,
save 12.3 GWh annually, and cut CO₂ emissions by 4,200 tons per year — the
equivalent of taking 12,600 cars off the road.
Russia: Wildfires spread across 2 million
hectares — 2.5 times more than last year
According to the Ministry of Emergency
Situations, around 2,500 forest fire outbreaks have been recorded since the
beginning of the year. The total burned area now exceeds 2 million hectares,
2.5 times higher than the same period in 2024. Siberia is currently the
epicenter of the disaster.
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World Climate and Energy News
Trump’s tax bill to cost 830,000 jobs and
drive up bills and pollution emissions, experts warn
A Republican push to dismantle clean energy
incentives threatens to reverberate across the US by costing more than
830,000 jobs, raising energy bills for US households and threatening to
unleash millions more tonnes of the planet-heating pollution that is causing
the climate crisis, experts have warned.
A major tax bill passed by the
Republican-held House of Representatives on Thursday morning will, as
currently written, demolish key components of climate legislation signed by
Joe Biden that has spurred a record torrent of renewable energy and electric
vehicle investment in the US.
Tropical forests destroyed at fastest
recorded rate last year
The world's tropical forests, which provide
a crucial buffer against climate change, disappeared faster than ever
recorded last year, new satellite analysis suggests. Researchers estimate
that 67,000 sq km (26,000 sq mi) of these pristine, old-growth forests were
lost in 2024 – an area nearly as large as the Republic of Ireland, or 18
football pitches a minute. Fires were the main cause, overtaking land
clearances from agriculture for the first time on record, with the Amazon
faring particularly badly amid record drought.
Tensions rise as superpowers scrap for a
piece of the Arctic
As soon as Magnus Mæland became mayor of a
small town on Norway's northern tip in late 2023, three delegations from
China came knocking on his door. "It's because they want to be a polar
superpower," he says. China might not instinctively spring to mind when you
think about the Arctic - but it's determined to be a big Arctic player. It's
been vying to buy real estate, get involved in infrastructure projects and
hopes to establish a permanent regional presence. China already describes
itself as a "near-Arctic state", even though its northernmost regional
capital Harbin is on roughly the same latitude as Venice, Italy. But the
Arctic is fast becoming one of the most hotly-contested parts of the world.
Beijing faces stiff competition from Russia, Europe, India and the US. The
race for the Arctic is on.
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Opportunities
Applications now open for Forbes
Sustainability Leaders 2025
Forbes has announced the launch of its
second annual Forbes Sustainability Leaders 2025 award, which will recognize
50 outstanding individuals making a significant impact on sustainability and
the fight against the climate crisis.
Who can be nominated?
Leaders from business, science, government,
and civil society who:
a.. Implement innovative sustainable
initiatives
b.. Influence sustainability-related policy
c.. Inspire communities toward environmental
change
Business leaders: companies must have over
$10M in revenue or more than $100M in funding
Deadline: June 13, 2025
Call for proposals: Technical Support Grant
The Initiative for Climate Action
Transparency (ICAT), supported by UNOPS, has opened a call for proposals for
technical support grants to enhance climate action transparency in
developing countries.
Funding available: up to $110,000 per
country module
Project duration: 12 to 18 months
Eligible support areas include:
a.. Developing monitoring, reporting, and
verification (MRV) systems
b.. Emission and sustainable development
assessments
c.. Transparency in climate finance
d.. Monitoring of just transition
e.. Support for updating and implementing
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
Who can apply:
NGOs, civil society organizations,
foundations, research and academic institutions, intergovernmental
organizations, and private entities operating on a non-profit basis
Deadline: May 30, 2025
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Would you like to reach out to us?
We welcome your feedback at
can.eecca at gmail.com
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From: CAN EECCA <digest at caneecca.org>
Date: вт, 27 мая 2025 г. в 15:40
Subject: 🌍 CAN EECCA Newsletter: Renewables Are Growing — But Water Keeps
Disappearing
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