September 28, 2021. Tbilisi. We are pleased to announce that within the framework of the EU-supported Georgia Climate Action Program, CENN, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, hosted the very first meeting of the National Climate Platform (NCP) in a hybrid format.
The purpose of the meeting was to meet the members of the National Climate Platform, to acquaint the stakeholders with the project activities, and to assign the representatives of the interested organizations in the working groups.
The first meeting of the National Climate Platform was dedicated to the presentation of the results achieved within the project, the mandate of the National Climate Platform (NCP), the Georgian Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS), the Donor Coordination Matrix on Climate Change, and the distribution of NCP members in working groups.
“I welcome the organisation of the 1st meeting of the National Climate Platform that is supported through the GEO-CAP project co-funded by the EU. The platform is to facilitate the establishment and development of cooperation between all key stakeholders, and it will support participatory decision-making in the development and implementation of climate change policy in Georgia. Ultimately, the platform will therefore reinforce the effectiveness of our common global fight against climate change in Georgia” – Alexander Darras, Attaché, Connectivity, Energy, Environment & Climate Change Team Leader, Delegation of the European Union to Georgia
The meeting was attended by the representatives of the EU Delegation to Georgia, the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, academia, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
“The National Climate Platform, which is a kind of association of stakeholders working in the climate change sector, is a tool that will facilitate the effective involvement of stakeholders in the development and implementation of climate change policy. This platform is especially important now that the country has adopted the updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the 2030 Climate Change Strategy, and the 2021-2023 Action Plan. Fulfilling the commitment that the country has made with the approval of the NDC requires stakeholder engagement and coordinated efforts. This is what the National Climate Platform provides” – Maia Javakhishvili, Deputy Head of the Environment and Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia
As a result of the meeting, representatives of more than 40 organizations joined 7 thematic working groups. The first meeting of the National Climate Platform was held in an interactive format and was attended by about 50 participants.
The National Climate Platform (NCP) is a national group of stakeholders engaged in the field of climate change, including governmental agencies, international and civil society organizations, academia, representatives of private sector, experts, as well as donor organizations active in the field of climate change.
The goal of the platform is to facilitate the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan of Georgia with the involvement of relevant stakeholders and in coordination with ongoing processes in the sector, to mitigate and effectively adapt to climate change and fulfil international commitments undertaken by the country. NCP gives its member organizations the opportunity to engage in climate action, discuss the impact of climate change on different issues, and work with other stakeholders to address these issues.
With the support of the EU, in 2021 CENN launched the Georgia Climate Program (GEO-CAP). The project supports Georgia to act on climate change by introducing climate friendly behaviour and reinforcing cooperation and trust between state and non-state actors, strengthening regional CSOs via supporting the implementation of concrete initiatives together with local communities and empowering people to engage in advocacy that will result in collaborative climate actions in the target regions of the project.
CENN will implement the GEO-CAP over the next 4 years together with partner organisations in 4 target regions (Guria, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi, and Kakheti) with the Human Rights-Based Approach.
The European Union supported Georgia Climate Action Program (GEO-CAP) is implemented by CENN together with the Kakheti Regional Development Fund (KRDF), the Chiatura Union (ACU), the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Agrotourism Development Association (RLS-ADA), and the Young Pedagogue’s Union (YPU). The target municipalities of the project are Gurjaani, Sagarejo, Akhmeta, Zestaponi, Tkibuli, Chiatura, Lanchkhuti, Ozurgeti, Oni, and Ambrolauri. The total budget of the project is 1 million euros.
