On December 20, 2023, during the Annual Regional Meeting of the Central Asian and the Caucasian network countries, Armenia and Kazakhstan expressed their keen interest in Mutual Learning Programme (MLP) on reporting on mitigation actions and NDC tracking for the Energy Sector. Given the positive examples of the similar approach of the MLP for Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in 2023-2024, the CBIT-GSP and IGES decided to extend its MLP support for new countries and pursue a series of learning sessions (webinars online) in 2024 for this particular pair. 

IGES and MURC, which supported Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will also support the new pair in sharing their knowledge on CTFs and mitigation actions for the Energy sector, particularly noting the experience of Japan. CBIT-GSP will technically lead the process and provide comments, questions and consultations on technical issues. 

The support will start on May 2024 and will finish in September 2024. Three virtual webinars are expected and two exercises are foreseen within this MLP.

The progress so far with the MLP for Armenia, Kazakhstan and Japan, is following:

Kick-off meeting which was held on May 10th, 2024:

Objective

The main objective of the kick-off meeting is to (a) discuss the objectives, process, and schedule of the MLP 2024, including how to conduct the first exercise (i.e., filling a common tabular format (CTF) for reporting mitigation actions in the Energy Sector), (b) to share the country status of a national system for tracking the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), that includes mitigation actions in each sector, and to (c) to discuss how the MLP can be designed and implemented in the way that best matches with the interests and needs of participants.

Target Audience and Language

The kick-off meeting will gather Coordinators and Experts of National Communications and Biennial Transparency Reports, senior experts from the national agencies dealing with GHG inventory and mitigation actions, as well as those specialists, who work in Energy at the domestic level. 

The event will be held in Russian and English with simultaneous translation provided in both languages.

Duration and Registration      

It is expected that the meeting will last up to 2 hours with sufficient timing dedicated to discussion and Q&A sessions.

Key take-away messages:

• Armenia, Kazakhstan and Japan selected the Energy Sector for MLP exercises. The main reason behind is that the countries have an access to data and information as well as know what are the strategic development priorities of their countries in expanding the sector by introducing RES and energy effective technologies. 
• The countries presented their status of NDC tracking and situation on GHG inventory for the energy sector. Obviously, for Armenia, Kazakhstan and Japan, the energy sector is the most GHG emitting one, and the selection of this sector is very much argued for the MLP.
• Since Armenia and Kazakhstan speak and understand Russian, it was suggested that the online meetings will be organized with provision of simultaneous translation in/to English/Russian. However, exercises and assignments, which, if written in Russian, will be translated in English by the CBIT-GSP regional network coordinator. 
• The main approach in MLP learning for the First Exercise is to fill in the CTF table 5 with data and information on mitigation actions for the country’s energy sectors. The same should be done for the write-up of the assessment methodology which was used to measure, report and track in CTF 5. The countries, afterwards, will be given some time to submit their assignments and pursue reviews of each other documents, and submit their completed reviews to IGES/CBIT-GSP.
• IGES and MURC proposed their support in reviewing the countries exercises and suggested that the countries review Japan’s files. This will add value to learning process and provide an access to Japan’s cases. 
• The countries raised a question on double counting. If the mitigation policy is used more than in one sector, in addition to the proposed Energy Sector, how it should be accounted? The clarity was provided by Chisa, who expressed her personal opinion to repeat the same mitigation policy action in every sector but to make a note that it is already counted in Energy as an example. Other participating countries proposed to use the mitigation policy action just once for the most appropriate sector. 

There was also a question that if the country did not yet determine the NDC indicator, how it should be considered and accounted in CTFs. The clarity was provided by Chisa who guided the country to use hypothetical indicator. More details on this question will be provided during the presentation of the second exercise which is directly addressing the filling in process for CTF1 and CTF 2.

Main meeting of the MLP, which was held on July 25th, 2024

Objective:

• To improve the understanding of methodologies and assumptions and how to fill the CTF-5 for reporting mitigation actions in the energy sector, including gaps and challenges,
• To discuss the content and schedule of the second exercise that best matches with the interest of participants (proposed second exercise: the development of CTF-1 (description of selected indicators) and CTF-2 (definitions needed to understand NDC)) 

Target Audience and Language

The kick-off meeting will gather Coordinators and Experts of National Communications and Biennial Transparency Reports, senior experts from the national agencies dealing with GHG inventory and mitigation actions, as well as those specialists, who work in Energy at the domestic level. 

The event will be held in Russian and English with simultaneous translation provided in both languages.

Duration and Registration      

It is expected that the meeting will last up to 2 hours with sufficient timing dedicated to discussion and Q&A sessions.

Key take-away messages:

• All three countries presented various sets of policy and measures on mitigation actions in Energy. Some policy and measures are crosscutting, especially in terms of RES, EE and e-cars for transport sectors. For example, Armenia has described RES and EE in much details with desegregation.
• However, Kazakhstan presented PaMs not only for Energy Sector. As such, Kazakhstan has to revise the Exercise 1 with the focus on Energy Sector only.
• Kazakhstan has requested a bilateral technical meeting to provide more practical guidance to correct the Exercise 1 and follow-up on Exercise 2.
• Solar PV, electrical vehicle and fuel switching in transportation sector and energy saving in residential and commercial sector are the most common mitigation actions, and there is a potential opportunity once again to check methodologies and assumptions for emission reduction, which the mentioned measures foresee.
• Methodology for estimations of GHG emission reduction was the most challenging part of the Exercise 1 and received more questions (such as indicators to track emission reduction).
• Some countries (Armenia) used LEAP model for methodologies and assumptions of mitigation actions and PaMs, while other countries (Kazakhstan and Japan) used statistical approach in estimations.  
• The gaps and challenges are also associated with data collection and it will take improvement throughout the BTR development process.
• The countries confirmed that the results of the MLP exercise will definitely build the base and contribute to the 1BTR on NDC tracking part. 
• The Exercise 1 was very useful and provided the content for PaMs for 1BTR. The challenge is that all provided PaMs are not yet final and derived from the latest BUR/BR and should be updated for 1BTR.