31 October 2013: The Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus) and the German International Cooperation (GIZ) organized a regional workshop, titled ‘Development of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in South Caucasus countries,’ in cooperation with the International Climate Initiative (ICI) of the German Federal Environment Ministry (BMU).

Participants discussed, inter alia, the development and prioritization of NAMAs in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The workshop was part of a capacity-building series on NAMA development in the South Caucasus, organized in the context of the International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV (monitoring, reporting and verification). The workshop was a follow-up meeting to a regional kick-off meeting held in July 2013, and three national NAMA trainings in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Participants discussed: the outcomes of the capacity-building series, including increased clarity on what can be included in a NAMA, the need for regional exchange on issues such as technology and sector expertise, and financing NAMAs; the prioritization of NAMAs based on multi-criteria-analysis (MCA) including greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential and financial feasibility; and cooperation opportunities within the International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV.

The workshop, which was held on 24-25 October 2013, in Tbilisi, Georgia, brought together representatives from the governments and ministries of the three countries, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Focal Points, international organizations, and civil society organizations. A summary report of the meeting will be released in December 2013.

The International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV was launched within the framework of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in May 2010 in Bonn, Germany, by South Africa, South Korea and Germany. The aim of the Partnership is to support a practical exchange on mitigation-related activities and MRV between developing and developed countries. [International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV Press Release] [REC Caucasus Press Release] [Regional Follow-up Meeting Agenda] [Presentation on Results Achieved: Summary of Capacity Development Activities] [Presentation on NAMA Prioritization: Review and Alignment of Stakeholders’ Different Objectives and Interests] [Presentation on International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV] [IISD RS Story on the July Workshop on NAMAs]