Belarus’ sixth national climate change communication ready in February 2015

Belarus’ sixth national communication on climate change will be presented to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) in February 2015, BelTA learned from Ivan Narkevich, coordinator for international projects of the unitary enterprise Belarusian Research Center Ecology, during the opening of the international seminar on the sixth national communication on the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in view of regional problems of sustainable development of the Republic of Belarus.

“The first variant of the sixth national communication on climate change is ready. We are now polishing it. The final variant will be presented to the UN FCCC secretariat in February 2015,” noted Ivan Narkevich.

According to the specialist, the international seminar, which is scheduled to take place in Minsk on 5-6 November, will help Belarusian researchers to determine the weak points in the first variant of the national communication. “The seminar has gathered specialists from Russia, Poland, Kazakhstan, and Austria. With their help we will be able to analyze our draft and improve it,” stressed Ivan Narkevich.

The national communication on the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is one of the most important commitments for the countries that sign the Convention. “The communication is meant to demonstrate how greenhouse gases are released, whether the volume of release is reduced, what research is carried out in this field in the country,” noted Ivan Narkevich. Parties to the Convention are supposed to present national communications on climate change every 3-4 years.

Belarus acceded to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2000 and to the Kyoto Protocol in 2005. Belarus honors its commitments as part of the Kyoto Protocol. In particular, Belarus has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by one third since 1990 while the real GDP has grown by two times in the period.

The international seminar held to discuss the sixth national communication on the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in view of regional problems of sustainable development of the Republic of Belarus has gathered about 100 researchers and representatives of the production sector. The seminar is supposed to allow its participants to share experience of preparing national communications and to develop recommendations to improve them. Participants of the seminar will also discuss achievements and problems with regard to climate change at the national and international level.