Regional: Promoting Low-Carbon Development in Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program Cities

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Forestry - Land-based natural resources management

Energy / Electricity transmission and distribution - Energy efficiency and conservation - Renewable energy generation - biomass and waste - Renewable energy generation - solar

Information and communication technology / ICT strategy and policy, and capacity development

Public sector management / Law and judiciary - Public administration

Transport / Urban public transport - Urban roads and traffic management

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Other urban services - Urban flood protection - Urban housing - Urban policy, institutional and capacity development - Urban solid waste management - Urban water supply

This regional capacity development technical assistance (TA) aims to support cities in Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program countries to strengthen their capacity to undertake climate actions to further enhance sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous economic development.

The impact of the TA will be the achievement of the NDCs for Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the PRC. The outcome will be the mainstreaming of climate actions in city investment plans in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the PRC.

The TA has the following outputs:

Output 1: Sustainable data management systems for greenhouse gas data assessed and enhanced at city level. To properly monitor a city's progress in reducing GHGs and enable comparison with the progress of other cities, it is important to have agreed-upon accounting and reporting standards. The TA will use the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC). This project component will facilitate developing and sustaining data management systems for GHG data, promoting multistakeholder engagement and participation. It also includes information technology and communication systems, and training in GPC and other relevant open data methodologies and procedures.

Output 2: Recommended investment road maps for low-carbon economic growth at selected cities developed. This output will support selected pilot cities to build road maps for low-carbon urban development.

Output 3: A source book on successful practices and measures driving low-carbon economic development at city level developed and disseminated. Successful practices and measures implemented by CAREC cities have not been fully identified, recorded, or disseminated. The source book will disseminate knowledge and lessons, including through global high-level events, and further enhance developing country cooperation on climate change.

Output 4: Strengthened capacity for low-carbon city development. This output will consist of a series of capacity building workshops, in which CAREC cities will be encouraged to commit to developing their own low-carbon city road maps by learning from the experiences of pilot cities. City government officials, experts, and other relevant stakeholders (including academia, think tanks, and relevant sector-specific organizations that contribute to low-carbon city development) will learn how to enhance low-carbon development.

The pace of urbanization is increasing in many Asian Development Bank (ADB) developing member countries, including those involved in the CAREC program. If not properly managed, urbanization can increase pressure on energy and natural resources; increase pollution and production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to climate destabilization; and threaten ecosystems. Cities within the CAREC region (_CAREC cities_) are home to much of the region's population, and have been the core drivers of national economic growth, but they have also become major sources of GHG emissions and other air pollutants. Recognizing the need to improve the urban environment, a number of city-level initiatives have emerged in the CAREC region that promotes aspects of sustainable, low-carbon urbanization. Lessons from these initiatives show that cities need better access to resources, support for local capacity enhancement, and more effective learning through cooperation among developing countries.

Climate change impacts are becoming increasingly apparent, and led to a historic agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Paris in December 2015, to mobilize a greater commitment to climate actions. Countries, including those involved in the CAREC program, submitted their nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets to express their commitment. As the Paris agreement came into force, to meet their NDC targets countries in the CAREC program will need additional capacity building and technology transfer, as well as access to sufficient financial resources. Among CAREC countries, Kazakhstan committed to reduce its 2030 GHG emissions by 25% compared to 1990 levels, under the condition that international support for finance and technology transfer is provided. Mongolia set a target to increase the share of renewable electricity capacity to 30% of the total electricity generation capacity and to reduce building heat loss by 40% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. The People's Republic of China (PRC) set a target to have carbon emissions peak by 2030, and committed to an even earlier peak. Support is urgently needed to assist CAREC countries in achieving these targets.

Cities play a critical role in the CAREC program, and a focus on urban low-carbon development and transformation is a logical, strategic way to help CAREC countries achieve their NDC targets. Empowering city governments will enable them to develop strategic plans and successfully execute climate actions with effective sectoral and cross-sectoral measures to create greater impacts and synergy. Supporting these cities to create a system that measures progress towards stated goals is also essential. The TA is designed to support CAREC cities in this process.

The TA is aligned with ADB's Strategy 2020, which highlights the importance of supporting action on climate change in ADB developing member countries, and with the Strategy 2020 midterm review, which identified the need for an increased focus on the environment and climate change, through support for (i) clean investments, (ii) sustainable transport, (iii) climate adaptation, (iv) integrated management of disaster and climate risks, (v) better natural resource management, (vi) policies and capacity strengthening, and (vii) access to global and regional funds. The TA is also aligned with ADB's Priorities for Action on addressing climate change in Asia and the Pacific.

Sustainable data management systems for greenhouse gas data assessed and enhanced at city level

Recommended investment road maps for low-carbon economic growth at selected cities developed

A source book on successful practices and measures driving low-carbon economic development at city level developed and disseminated

Capacity for low-carbon city development among CAREC countries expanded