Uzbekistan commits to develop a strategy for the municipal solid waste management. The strategy will follow a thorough assessment of the current situation. The development of the draft is scheduled for 2017 and the adoption of the strategy is scheduled in 2018. The commitments will result in the reduction of the volume of municipal solid waste generated and the introduction of a closed cycle of production and consumption. In addition, the commitment is expected to introduce economic incentives for sustainable solid waste management and improve systems that monitor the generation and usage of solid waste. It will also help develop entrepreneurship in the sector of solid waste.
The commitment falls under focus area 8 of the Batumi Initiative to improve access to services, healthy living and well-being.
Implementing partners will include interested ministries, enterprises, municipalities and NGOs.
Portugal commits to ratifying the Nagoya Protocol and developing national legislation on fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources in biological diversity conservation.
The commitment falls under focus area 2 of the Batumi Initiative to promote the internalisation of negative externalities and the sustainable use of natural capital.
The commitment is relevant to SDG 14, 15 and 17.
Portugal commits to promote electric mobility by improving the existing charging infrastructure network and increasing the number of charging stations. Portugal will also adopt new legislation addressing the market of electricity distribution for transport use and give different kinds of incentives to electric vehicles acquisition and use by transport operators and by individuals. The country will promote the renewal of the transport fleet of the Public Administration with electric vehicles and complete the regulatory framework of electric mobility.
The commitment falls under focus areas 4, 5, and 8 of the Batumi Initiative to shift consumer behaviours towards more sustainable consumption patterns; develop clean physical capital for sustainable production patterns; and improve access to service, healthy living and well-being.
Implementing partners include energy sector decision makers and public administration entities.
The commitment is relevant to SDG 3, 9, 11, and 13.
Italy commits to set up a Natural Capital Committee (NCC) at the Ministry of Environment. The commitment is by decree of the President of the Council of Ministers and was proposed by the Minister of Environment. The commitment aims to produce pre-evaluations and post-evaluations of the effects of public policies on natural capital and ecosystems services.
The commitment falls under focus area 1 of the Batumi Initiative to improve measurement and valuation of natural capital.
Latvia commits to creating a strategy that defines the goals and activities for the nation’s transition to low carbon development. The strategy will provide long-term incentives for businesses, municipalities and the general public to change production, lifestyle and consumption patterns. It will provide the basis for mid-term development planning documents and measures. The Strategy will address all sectors of the national economy, including, energy, transport, agriculture and forestry. It will take into account the current national situation including Latvia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity and EU and international climate change policies. The commitment intends to reduce economy-wide GHG emissions, enhance resource efficiency, change business and consumer behaviour, support innovation, improve health through less pollution, provide career opportunities for new specialist and entrepreneurs and create investment opportunities for institutional investors in low-carbon projects.
Latvia commits to developing green public procurement procedures. The procedures will apply to specific product groups including office paper, office IT equipment, office furniture, food and catering services, cleaning products and services, indoor lighting, traffic signals and several other voluntary product groups. The country also commits to developing a “calculator” of life-cycle costs for energy consuming products groups. This calculator will help develop guidelines of for green procurement. Under this commitment, Latvia will prepare and submit to the Cabinet of Ministers annual reports on the implementation of green public procurement. Latvia will also organise methodological workshops and trainings for state and local governments. The commitment also includes the implementation of awareness-raising activities for additional stakeholders on green procurement and green public procurement. The commitment will result in a more efficient use of resources, incentives for sustainable production and consumption, fueling the transition towards sustainable production and consumption.
The Republic of Moldova commits to strengthen the inter-ministerial and multi-stakeholders working group on sustainable development and green economy in order to develop and implement the Road Map on the promotion of Green Economy. The commitment will result in activities to strengthen the capacities of the inter-ministerial working group on sustainable development and green economy. It will also lead to the development and approval of the Road Map on the promotion of Green Economy. The commitment will strengthen inter-ministerial collaboration and coordination for green economy promotion by enlarging the dialogue on green economy with more stakeholders.
The commitment falls under focus area 1 of the Batumi Initiative to improve the measurement and valuation of natural capital.
Implementing partners include Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Regional Development and Constructions, Ministry of Transport and Road Infrastructure, Ministry of Education, National Bureau of Statistics, and PA EcoContact.
The commitment is relevant to SDGs 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
Italy commits to setting up a national voluntary scheme through national regulation, with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of Italian eco-products on national and international markets. Such a scheme aims at promoting sustainable patterns of production and consumption; fostering eco-competitiveness of Italian small and medium enterprises; improving the environmental performance of products; reducing environmental impacts generated during their life cycle; enhancing citizens’ awareness; promoting sustainable consumption; and ensuring transparency and comparability of environmental performance of products. The draft regulation applies to products made entirely in Italy, or for which the drawing, design, processing and packaging are made exclusively on the Italian territory, as required by Italian national law.
The commitment falls under focus area 4 of the Batumi Initiative to shift consumer behaviours towards sustainable consumption patterns.
The commitment is relevant to SDG 12.
Poland commits to protect forests against threats arising from climate change especially in land retention and erosion prevention in lowlands and mountainous areas. The commitment will be implemented within the II Priority Axis of the Infrastructure and Environment Programme, in particular measure 2.1 of climate change adaptiaton, protection and enhancing resilience to natural disasters and environmental monitoring.
The commitment falls under focus area 3 of the Batumi Initaitve to enhance ecosystems and ecosystem services as part of ecological infrastructure.
The commitment is relevant to SDGs 6 and 12.
Germany commits to helping consumers to better understand the environmental and social impacts of their consumption through the German National Programme for Sustainable Consumption. The programme aims to identify alternative consumption patterns and strengthen sustainable alternatives, without removing consumers’ rights to make their own decisions. The programme also aims to strengthen incentives for innovative approaches that facilitate sustainable consumption and stimulate a broader national discussion about lifestyles and a change in values.The programme addresses not only consumers but all relevant stakeholders such as the business community, commerce, civil society, the scientific community and academia, the media, local authorities and the public sector. The Programme will promote sustainable lifestyle and product choices and raise awareness of the impacts of sustainable consumption. In addition, it will identify and encourage potential synergies among the different stakeholders, produce role models of public actors in sustainable procurement, and reduce food waste.