Uzbekistan Among Leaders in Pledging Carbon Neutrality Deadlines

The year 2024 was the hottest on record. For the first time, the average global temperature exceeded the pre-industrial level by more than 1.5°C over an entire year. Scientists warn that crossing this threshold poses catastrophic risks. Against this backdrop, many countries have strengthened their climate commitments — but few have backed them with concrete measures.

According to the REN21 Global Status Report 2025, cited by Statista, Uzbekistan is among the countries with the most ambitious net-zero emission targets — aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030. Other countries with similar goals include the Maldives, Liechtenstein, and Dominica. The earliest deadline belongs to Cape Verde, which targets neutrality by 2025. However, some countries are revising their timelines — Scotland, for instance, pushed its target from 2030 to 2045, calling the earlier goal unrealistic.

At the same time, only a fraction of countries are combining climate pledges with economic tools — particularly carbon pricing mechanisms like emission taxes or cap-and-trade systems, which are widely regarded as essential for meaningful emissions reductions.

Uzbekistan is one of 90 countries with a formal net-zero commitment, but it does not yet have any active carbon pricing instruments, raising doubts about the speed and feasibility of its green transition.

In contrast, major economies like China, India, Brazil, Germany and France are already implementing both targets and financial incentives.

According to the report, most policies still target individual sectors: industry is regulated in 51 countries, transport in 45, construction in 23 and agriculture in just 17. A comprehensive, cross-sectoral approach remains rare.

What challenges do Central Asian nations face on the road to a green economy? How are they tackling greenhouse gas emissions? And who is closest to achieving true carbon neutrality in the near future? Read more in Kursiv Uzbekistan.