Uzbekistan Adopts Law on Carbon Emissions and Trading Mechanism
On July 7, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a new law On Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, introducing a legal framework for carbon trading in Uzbekistan. The law defines carbon units as the volume of greenhouse gases reduced or captured through green projects, measured as one tonne of CO₂ equivalent.
These carbon units will be tracked in a national registry managed by the Green Economy Projects Centre under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The registry will record all details related to the generation, transfer, sale and retirement of carbon units.
Carbon Market to Launch in 2026
The system will operate under contracts with legal entities or individual entrepreneurs, based on a government-approved format. Pricing of carbon units will be determined by market mechanisms. Companies will also be permitted to trade carbon credits on international markets, with approval from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Transfers of carbon units between parties will be managed through account debits and credits. Participants may also retire carbon units voluntarily to reduce their own carbon footprint.
President Mirziyoyev also signed a decree outlining Uzbekistan’s participation in the international carbon market. The country has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 35% by 2030, compared to 2010 levels.
80% of Carbon Units to Be Sold Internationally
Under the new system, up to 80% of carbon units generated will be available for sale on international markets. The remaining 20% will be reserved to help Uzbekistan meet its national emissions targets and manage oversupply risks.
Exceptions apply to carbon units generated through public sector projects or public-private partnerships, which will remain under direct government control.
The carbon registry is set to be launched by 1 January 2026. By that date, the government is also expected to propose amendments to the law on licensing and permits, introducing a new approval procedure for projects involving the generation and sale of carbon units.
Kursiv also reports that Uzbekistan has been highlighted in the Sustainable Development Report 2025 as one of the countries that has advanced more rapidly than many of its peers in implementing the SDGs.
