The Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus) commits to contribute to national plans and actions in mapping and valuation of ecosystem services and the application of payments for ecosystem services (PES) mechanisms. REC-Caucasus also commits to provide consultations and capacity building activities for relevant states organisations, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in order to promote sustainable use of nature resources, ecosystems and ecosystem services.The commitments will result in the broad acceptation and implementation of ecosystems services values and its valuation methods in all sectors of the economy contributing to the economic and sustainable use of natural resources by each country.
The commitment falls under focus areas 1, 4, and 8 of the Batumi Initiative to improve the measurement and valuation of natural capital; shift consumer behaviours towards sustainable consumption patterns; and improve access to services, healthy living and well-being.
The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) commits to promote the use of tools that reduce negative externalities. To achieve this, UNECE will include a subsection on internalisation of negative externalities and sustainable use of natural capital in the chapter on "Economic Instruments, Environmental Expenditures and Investments for Greening the Economy" in at least one Environmental Performance Reviews (EPR). The commitment will raise awareness of the existence of economic instruments such as Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) that could reduce the loss of natural capital as well as raise funds for environmental activities.
The commitment falls under focus areas 2 of the Batumi Initiative to promote the internalisation of negative externalities and the sustainable use of natural capital.
Implementing partners will include UN Environment and the OECD.
The commitment is relevant to SDGs 14 and 15.
Poland commits to increasing carbon storage in its forests. This commitment will contribute to the stabilisation of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Poland aims to achieve this commitment through the possible establishment of a national market system for carbon credits. This system will facilitate the sale of credits that reflect the carbon offset by forestry projects. As a first step, Poland will consider a climate policy framework that creates forestry projects and establishes a national market for carbon credits.
The commitment falls under focus area 3 of the Batumi Initiative to enhance ecosystems and ecosystem services as part of ecological infrastructure.
Implementing partner includes State Forests.
The commitment is relevant to SDG 15.
Sweden commits to make visible the values of ecosystem services. The Swedish government in 2014 adopted a national milestone target on the importance of biodiversity and the value of ecosystem services. The target stipulates that, by 2018, the importance of biodiversity and the value of ecosystem services are to be generally known and integrated into economic positions, political considerations and other decisions in a society where it is relevant and reasonable to do so. This target is part of the updated national strategy and action plan on biological diversity, which is embedded in the system of Environmental Quality Objectives adopted by Parliament. The target contributes to the global Strategic Plan for Biological Diversity 2011-2020 targets that were adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2010. The expected long-term effect of the milestone target is the creation of mechanisms that secure the capacity of ecosystems and provides incentives for a sustainable management of biological diversity.
Uzbekistan commits to reform the existing laws that regulate methods of the use of natural resources. The development and adoption process of the government decision is scheduled in 2018. The commitment aims to improve the system of incentives for pollution reduction, recycling and disposal of waste, and the development of industries using recycled materials.
The commitment falls under focus areas 1 and 2 of the Batumi Initiative to improve the measurement and valuation of natural capital; and promote the internalisation of negative externalities and the sustainable use of natural capital.
Implementing partners will include relevant ministries and NGOs.
The commitment is relevant to SDG 12.
Belarus commits to provide Information on eco-labelling and support sustainable consumption. The commitment will result in the establishment of the eco-labelling system in the Republic of Belarus.
The commitment falls under focus area 4 of the Batumi Initiative to shift consumer behaviours towards more sustainable consumption patterns.
Implementing partners include the State Standardisation Committee of the Republic of Belarus, interested national public governing bodies, business community, civil society organisations, and the private sector.
The commitment falls under SDGs 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.
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.
Croatia commits to implementing and promoting a national “Environment Friendly” label and EU Ecolabel for sustainable goods and services. The commitment will inform producers about benefits of ecolabels and sensitise the public to buying sustainable goods and services. The commitment is expected to increase the recognition among consumers of goods and services with ecolabels.
The commitment falls under focus area 4 of the Batumi Initiative to shift consumer behaviours towards sustainable consumption patterns.
Implementing partners include Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection and the Chamber of Commerce.
The commitment is relevant to SDG targets 12.2 and 12.6.