MINSK, 22 September (BelTA) - Belarus plans a 28 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with the emissions in 1990 used as a baseline. The country has adopted the corresponding obligations within the Paris Climate Agreement, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
“On 20 September 2016 Belarus became the 30th entry to the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris in December 2015 and signed on 22 April 2016,” the press service said.
The Paris Agreement seeks the implementation of the UN GA resolution Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and envisages promotion of ecological integrity, development of renewable energy resources, green economy, transfer of highly-efficient technologies, mitigation of climate change consequences and adaptation to climatic changes.
“Under the Paris Agreement, all its signatories, including Belarus, will have access to economic mechanisms promoting the events aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the greenhouse gas absorption from the atmosphere, and also the events to adapt the agricultural and forestry sectors to climate change,” the ministry explained.
Belarus has a high adaptive potential thanks to large forest cover, numerous water resources and a high percentage of bogs and specially protected natural areas.
“The strengthening of Belarus' efforts in the area of renewable energy resources, the introduction of low-carbon and carbon-free technologies, the exclusion of the use of fossil fuels (containing high percentage of carbon) such as residual oil, peat and coal, the installation of bio gas plants at all big cattle enterprises, pig complexes, and poultry farms, the introduction of integrated systems using bio gas, solar and wind energy in agro-towns, the introduction of the carbon tax and the development of the national carbon market, and also the efforts to increase the number of electric transport in use and remove from operation petrol and diesel cars of low ecological classes will help the country attract climate-oriented funds (grants and loans) and considerably intensify the economy,” the press service said.
In the coming months Belarus will undertake measures necessary for the implementation of the provisions of the Paris Agreement. The country will hold a complex analysis of the need to change the key indicators that have an impact on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, such as energy intensity, carbon intensity, the share of renewable energy resources, and per capita power consumption.
The Paris Agreement will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, ratify, adopt, approve or join it. As of 20 September 2016, 30 countries with the total of 40.12% of global greenhouse has emissions, expressed their consent for the Agreement.
As was informed, on 20 September Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed the decree on the passing of the Paris Agreement. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection has been authorized to fulfill Belarus' obligations within the framework of the Agreement. The Council of Ministers has been given time before 1 December 2018 to take measures for the implementation of the Agreement.
