Monday, 17 October 2022

Georgia’s approximation to 2030 climate targets

ქართულენოვანი ვერსია ხელმისაწვდომია აქ.

Author: Mariam Kukava

To help the EU reach its 2030 climate and energy targets, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action (Governance Regulation) sets common rules for planning, reporting and monitoring on energy and climate policies and targets. It aims to ensure coherent implementation and coordination of the Energy Union Strategy[1] on energy security, internal energy market, energy efficiency, decarbonisation and research, innovation and competitiveness. The Regulation also ensures that EU planning and reporting are synchronized with the ambition cycles under the Paris Agreement[2].

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community and the proposal from the European Commission, the Ministerial Council of Energy Community has adopted Decision D/2021/14/MC-EnC[3] amending Article 20 and Annex I to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community and incorporating Directive (EU) 2018/2001, Directive (EU) 2018/2002, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1044 and implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1208 in the Energy Community acquis communautaire.

The adoption of Governance Regulation is a significant new step towards the decarbonisation dimension within the EnC. It was adopted as part of key legislative acts stemming from the EU’s Clean energy for all Europeans package.

With the Decision, Energy Community Contracting Parties, including Georgia, committed themselves to transpose and implement the Governance Regulation by 31 December 2022.

Integrated national energy and climate plans[4]

Under the Regulation, Energy Community Contracting Parties shall develop integrated national energy and climate plans (NECP). In particular, by 30 June 2024, and subsequently by 1 January 2029 and every ten years thereafter, each Contracting Party shall notify to the Energy Community Secretariat an integrated NECP. The mandatory structure and the content of the NECPs includes the following:

 Overview and process for establishing the Plan;

 National objectives and targets;

 Policies and measures;

• Current situation and projections with existing policies and measures;

• Impact assessment of planned policies and measures.[5]

The first plan shall cover the period from 2025 to 2030. The subsequent plans shall cover the ten-year period immediately following the end of the period covered by the previous plan[6].

NECP shall set out national objectives for each of the five dimensions of the Energy Union[7]:

  • energy security;
  • internal energy market;
  • energy efficiency;
  • decarbonisation; and
  • research, innovation and competitiveness.

National long-term strategies

EnC Contracting Parties are required to develop and submit to the Secretariat their national long-term strategies by the time the Regulation comes into force, and subsequently by 1 January 2029 and every 10 years thereafter. The plan shall contain a 30 years perspective and shall be consistent with the Energy Community’s climate-neutrality objective.

Contracting Parties shall ensure consistency between these strategies and their NECPs and update them every five years.

Integrated national energy and climate progress reporting

The Regulation lays down reporting obligation. Each Contracting Party shall report to the EnC Secretariat on the status of implementation of its integrated national energy and climate plan by means of an integrated national energy and climate progress report covering all five dimensions of the Energy Union. The first report shall be submitted in 2025 and every two years thereafter.

The integrated national energy and climate progress report shall cover the information on the progress accomplished towards reaching the objectives, among others, the EnC’s climate-neutrality objective, targets and contributions set out in the integrated NECP, and towards implementing the policies and measures necessary to meet them. The report shall also include integrated reporting on renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy security, energy poverty and research, innovation and competitiveness.

Georgia's path to climate change

Georgia accessed the UNFCCC as a non-Annex I country, Kyoto Protocol (KP)[8], and approved the Paris Agreement[9]. The reforms envisaged by the Association Agreement also imply harmonization of Georgian legislation with EU legislation regarding the climate change mitigation, energy efficiency, air pollution and renewable energy. As a Contracting Party to the Energy Community Treaty since 2017, Georgia has the obligation to implement the energy acquis in force, including acquis on climate change.

By the Resolution of the Government of Georgia dated April 8, 2021 No.167 the following documents were approved: Georgia’s Updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) provided by the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Georgia’s 2030 Climate Change Strategy and the 2021-2023 Action Plan of Georgia’s 2030 Climate Change Strategy. The updated NDCs was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 5 May 2022.[10]

In the updated NDC Georgia committed to reducing its GHG emissions to 35% below the emission levels in 1990, by 2030.

Georgia's 2030 Climate Change Strategy, to mitigate climate change in Georgia, sets out the ways to achieve the goals of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

The Strategy document determines the state policy for climate change mitigation in the following sectors: Energy Generation and Transmission, Buildings, Transport, Forestry, Agriculture, Waste Management, Industry.

The Climate Strategy and Action Plan also support the implementation of Georgia’s commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Goals of the Climate Strategy and Action Plan

To achieve the long-term vision declared for 2030[11], the Climate Strategy and Action Plan set the following goals for each sector:

Goal 1: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy generation and transmission sector to 15% below the reference scenario projections by 2030;

Goal 2: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector to 15% below the reference scenario projections by 2030;

Goal 3: Support the development of low-carbon approaches in the buildings sector by promoting climate-smart and energy-efficient technologies and services;

Goal 4: Support development of the low-carbon approaches in the industry sector by promoting climate-smart and energy-efficient technologies and services to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 5% below the reference scenario projections by 2030;

Goal 5: Support the low-carbon development of the agriculture sector by encouraging the climate-smart and energy-efficient technologies and services;

Goal 6: Support the low-carbon development of the waste sector by promoting climate-smart and energy-efficient technologies and services;

Goal 7: Increase the carbon capturing capacity of the forestry sector by 10% for 2030 compared to 2015[12].

By acceding to the Energy Community Treaty, Georgia has committed to shape its domestic legislation in line with the adapted EU climate rules.

To determine 2030 goals, Georgia as a Contracting Party, is preparing an integrated NECP based on the recommendations provided by EnC Secretariat. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this process requires the development of consistent policies and measures in all energy-related sectors.

In order to comply with the obligations stemming from the Governance Regulation, Georgia shall enhance the existing legal and institutional framework. It will need to revise existing energy- and climate-related legal acts on policies, strategies and planning documents and introduce new legal rules defining the roles and responsibilities of the designated authorities. This will require a thorough analysis of the acts in force and making the gap analysis to identify the areas to be completed.

Governance Regulation imposes an explicit obligation on Georgia to draft and submit its integrated NECP to EnC. Therefore, Georgia shall timely finalize the process of preparation and submission of first draft NECP.

By the entry into force of the Governance Regulation and subsequently, by 1 January 2029 and every ten years thereafter, Georgia is obliged to prepare and submit to the EnC its long-term strategy with a 30 years perspective. The Governance Regulation requires long-term strategies to be developed in an open and transparent manner.



[2] The Paris Agreement (PA) is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. The PA sets an operational goal to hold an average global temperature well below 2 degrees compared to the pre-industrial level and “pursuing efforts” towards an aspirational goal of 1,5 degrees. Georgia is Party to PA since 2015;

[3] Decision D/2021/14/MC-EnC available - https://www.energy-community.org/legal/decisions.html;

[4] Articles 3,  and 14 of the Governance Regulation;

[6] Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action Incorporated and adapted by the Ministerial Council Decision 2021/14/MC-EnC of 30 November 2021 on incorporating Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 in the Energy Community acquis communautaire and amending Annex I of the Treaty;

[7] Article 1.2 and point 2 of section A of Annex I:

[8] Date of ratification 19 June 1999;

[9] Date of ratification 08 May 2017;

[11] Reducing GHG emissions to 35% below 1990 levels by 2030 for all sectors of the economy.

[12] 2021-2023 Action Plan of Georgia’s 2030 Climate Strategy available - https://mepa.gov.ge/En/Files/ViewFile/50122;

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