ICAT Georgia Project Advances with the First Waste and Forestry Sector Working Group Meetings

Following the successful launch of the project "ICAT Georgia: Developing a Framework for NDC Tracking and GHG Projections in Priority Sectors", the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus), in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA), convened the first meetings of the Waste and Forestry Sector Working Groups on 31 July 2026 in Tbilisi.

The meetings were held as part of the implementation of the ICAT-supported project, which aims to strengthen Georgia's capacity to implement its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). They marked the beginning of a sectoral consultation process that will contribute to updating the country's National Climate Strategy and developing a new Climate Action Plan.

Organized in a hybrid format, the meetings brought together representatives of government institutions, technical experts, development partners, and other key stakeholders involved in climate policy and implementation. The sessions were opened by Maia Javakhishvili, Deputy Head of the Department of Environment and Climate Change Policy at MEPA, and Sophiko Akhobadze, Executive Director of REC Caucasus, who highlighted the importance of coordinated sectoral engagement in shaping Georgia's updated climate policy framework.

During the meetings, sectoral experts presented the ongoing process of developing Georgia's National Climate Strategy and Action Plan, reviewed the implementation status of the 2024–2025 Climate Action Plan, and facilitated discussions on additional mitigation measures to be incorporated into the updated strategy and forthcoming action plan.

Funded by ICAT and managed by UNOPS, the project is implemented by REC Caucasus in close cooperation with MEPA, with UNEP-CCC serving as the international technical partner. Additional sectoral working group meetings will follow, bringing together experts and institutions from other priority sectors to support the development of Georgia's updated climate policy framework.