Date & Time
June 03 - 04, 2025 ET
GMT+5
- Overview
- Agenda
- Speakers
Central Asian countries face a dual development challenge: driving economic growth and social progress while managing increasing climate risks, all within a context of constrained fiscal space. Mobilizing new and additional sources of finance, both domestic and international, is critical to advancing low-carbon development pathways.
Carbon pricing and carbon markets have emerged as essential tools for driving emissions reductions, encouraging innovation, attracting finance, and supporting the transition to a low-carbon and resilient economy.
Carbon pricing, whether through taxes or emissions trading systems, puts a cost on pollution, incentivizing businesses to adopt cleaner and more sustainable practices.
Carbon markets create opportunities to incentivize emissions reductions and attract international finance.
Utilizing these tools can support a just and sustainable transition, while positioning Central Asia to engage more effectively in global carbon finance. Yet, these tools are complex and require capacity at the country level to utilize the opportunities they bring.
This workshop aims to clarify key concepts and deepen participants’ understanding of how carbon pricing and carbon markets can be utilized by governments to advance climate, economic, and development objectives. It will highlight recent developments in both areas, examining their mechanisms, benefits, and the critical role they play in achieving climate goals.
Additionally, the workshop will explore how carbon markets can be leveraged to attract international climate finance to support decarbonization efforts. Participants will also receive step-by-step guidance on how countries can effectively prepare to adopt and implement these tools and instruments.
Workshop Objectives:
- Build foundational knowledge on carbon pricing instruments — including emissions trading systems (ETS) and carbon taxes — and how they can be designed and implemented in the context of Central Asia.
- Introduce carbon markets and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, highlighting their role in achieving climate targets and attracting international climate finance.
- Share practical experiences and lessons from countries on implementing carbon pricing and participating in carbon markets.
- Enhance understanding of the steps required for participation in international carbon markets, including institutional, legal, and technical readiness.
- Showcase examples of emission reduction projects across sectors, providing insights into methodologies and project design.
- Facilitate peer learning and dialogue among Central Asian policymakers and international experts, to support informed decision-making on low-carbon development pathways.
June 3, 2025, Day 1
Click to connect via Zoom
Meeting ID: 957 7099 6169
Passcode: 2462429407
June 4, 2025, Day 2
Click to connect via Zoom
Meeting ID: 994 3290 4016
Passcode: 0472665517
Preliminary Agenda
Day 1: June 3, 2025
Time |
Session |
Speakers/Discussants |
9:00 – 9:05 (5 mins) |
Introduction and Welcome |
Kirtan Sahoo Senior Climate Change Specialist, World Bank |
9:05 – 9:15 (10 mins) |
Opening Remarks |
Indu John-Abraham Operations Manager for Central Asia, World Bank |
9:15 – 9:45 (30 mins) |
Session 1: Relevance of Carbon Market & Carbon Pricing Agenda in Central Asia — Reflections from Central Asian Countries |
Moderator: Indu John-Abraham Operations Manager for Central Asia, World Bank Delegations: |
9:45 – 11:00 (75 mins) |
Session 2. Carbon Pricing & Carbon Markets — The Basics and State of Play · Carbon Pricing: ETS and taxes, design and implementation considerations, current state of carbon pricing globally, lessons from international experience (20 mins) · Carbon Crediting Markets: General overview and concepts, different type of markets – domestic and international, state of play, key considerations for participation. (20 mins) Panel Discussion (20 mins) 1. What are the key preconditions or enabling factors a country should have in place before introducing a carbon pricing instrument such as a carbon tax or emissions trading system (ETS)? 2. What lessons can be drawn from Kazakhstan’s ETS experience—both in terms of design and implementation—that might be relevant for other Central Asian countries considering carbon pricing? 3. How can carbon pricing be introduced in stages or integrated with existing energy, industry, or fiscal policies in countries with limited institutional capacity? 4. How can countries ensure that carbon pricing policies are socially and economically just—particularly in fossil-fuel dependent economies or regions with energy subsidies? Q&A and Group Discussion (15 mins) |
Moderator: Kirtan Sahoo, Senior Climate Change Specialist, World Bank Presenter: Daniel Besley, Senior Environmental Economist, World Bank
Discussants: Hari Kumar Gadde, Senior Carbon Finance Specialist, World Bank Daniyar Djamalov, Director Department of Emissions Trading System, JSC Zhasyl Damu, Kazakhstan Andrei Marcu, Executive Director, ERCST Stella Seung-Yeon Lee, GGGI Country Representative, Uzbekistan |
11:00 –11:30 (30 Mins) |
Coffee Break |
|
11:30 – 13:00 (90 Mins) |
Session 3: Participating under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement — Part 1 · Navigating Decisions on Carbon Markets · Role of Article 6 in achieving NDCs. · What abatement to sell and how much? How to manage the risks of participating in Article 6? · How Article 6 markets interact with domestic carbon markets? · UNFCC requirements · Q&A and group discussion |
Moderator: Daniel Besley Senior Environmental Economist, World Bank Presenters: Harikumar Gadde Senior Carbon Finance Specialist, World Bank Andrei Marcu Executive Director, ERCST Nataliya Kushko Senior Fellow, ERCST |
13:00 – 14:00 (60 Mins) |
Lunch |
All |
14:00 – 15:30 (90 Min) |
Session 4: Participating under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement — Part 2 · Latest Developments on Art 6.4 from UNFCCC · Considerations for implementing the institutional, legal, and technical processes along with infrastructure required to facilitate participation in international trade under Article 6. · Reflections - Andrei Marcu · Q&A and group discussion
|
Moderator: Daniel Besley Senior Environmental Economist, World Bank Presenters: Perumal Arumugam Manager - Markets, Non Markets and Stakeholder interaction, Mitigation Division UNFCCC Harikumar Gadde Senior Carbon Finance Specialist, World Bank Discussant: Andrei Marcu Executive Director, ERCST |
15:30 – 15:45 (15 Mins) |
Coffee Break |
All |
15:45 – 16:45 (60 mins) |
Session 5: Article 6 in Practice – Governance Framework and Project Cycle · Governance Framework · Examples · Developing the policy frame work/challenges and lessons learned · Article 6 Transaction - Project Cycle · Q&A and group discussion |
Moderator: Kirtan Sahoo, Senior Climate Change Specialist, World Bank Presenters: Jakhongir Yakubov Climate Finance Specialist Juru, Uzbekistan Zarrina Azizova Climate Finance Specialist, World Bank |
16:45 – 17:15 |
Session 6: Uzbekistan’s iCRAFT Project · Uzbekistan iCRAFT Project – design, implementation, benefits, lessons · Q&A and group discussion |
Moderator: Zarrina Azizova, Climate Finance Specialist, World Bank Presenter: Shohijakhon Khurramzoda Ministry of Economy & Finance, Uzbekistan |
17:15 – 17:30 |
Wrap-up of Day 1 |
World Bank |
Day 2: June 4, 2025
Time |
Session |
Speaker |
9:00 – 9:10 (10 mins) |
Setting the stage for Day-2 |
World Bank |
9:10 – 10:30 (80 mins) |
Session 7: Understanding demand under Article 6
· Sources of demand under Article 6 Panel discussion with experts and buyer representatives · Q&A and group discussion
|
Moderator: Kirtan Sahoo
Presenters: Sangsun Ha Carbon Market Expert, ECOEYE Co., Ltd, South Korea
MOCK Yi Jun Aaron Drayer Deputy Head, Carbon Pricing Unit, Global Green Growth Institute |
11:00 –11:30 (30 Mins) |
Coffee Break |
|
11:30 – 13:00 (90 Mins) |
Session 8: Developing Emission Reduction Projects Across Sectors – Examples
· Emission Reduction Project in Heating Sector: Mongolia Clean Heating Project
· Emission Reduction Project in Forestry Sector: Ghana Mangroves
· Decarbonize the grids: CCCI Methodology · Enhanced transmission lines and an e-mobility project: Ghana · Emission Reduction Projects in Wastewater and Solid Waste Management
· Q&A and group discussion |
Moderator: Daniel Besley Senior Environmental Economist, World Bank Egbert Liese Climate Finance and Carbon Market Expert, Walburg and Partners Gediz Kaya Managing Partner GAIA Climate Ritika Tewari Principal Consultant South Pole
Francisco Koch Global Technologies Director and Head of the Asia Centre of Carbon Excellence South Pole |
13:00 – 13:15 (15 min) |
Wrap up |
World Bank |
13:15 – 14:45 (90 Mins) |
Lunch |
All |