Environmental initiatives of Turkmenistan, the importance of innovation for climate conservation, new technologies and the energy transition became the main topics of the first day of the International Scientific Conference «Energy Prospects, New Technologies and Environmental Aspects of the Development of Hydrocarbon Resources» (TESC 2024) that started in Ashgabat.

As the speakers emphasized when speaking at the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP-28), the President Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced Turkmenistan's accession to the Global Methane Commitment.

As a contribution to efforts under the Global Methane Commitment, the Turkmen side proposed, under the auspices of the UN, to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Of particular importance is the initiative of Turkmenistan to create a Regional Centre for Climate Technologies of the Countries of Central Asia with headquarters in Ashgabat, which provides for the introduction and application of climate technologies in the Central Asian states and promoting the technological advancement of the region in the field of climate change.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, who moderated the plenary session at TESC 2024, Dmitriy Shlapachenko, noted the close cooperation with the Government of Turkmenistan and with all parties that are at the Bonn Climate Conference to support the Government’s initiative to create a Regional Centre for Climate Technologies for Central Asia in Ashgabat.

– We have been working for almost three years and are close to the goal. At the Conference, we also established a connection between this Centre and technologies, including methane emissions. We hope to do at least one pilot project before COP29 in Baku to show that we take this problem seriously and will try to solve it.

– It is a great honour for me to be the moderator of the conference that opened in Ashgabat, which, as always, was perfectly organized by the Turkmen Forum. It seems to me that the fact that many more participants came than expected is only an indicator of how well this conference is organized.

The purpose of the Conference, which began its work on World Environment Day, is to strengthen international cooperation between Turkmen national oil and gas companies and international organizations, academic communities and financial institutions focused on environmental protection and a green future.