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UNIDO and GIZ Highlight Eco-Industrial Parks as a Driver of Green Industrial Transformation in Uzbekistan at Eco Expo Central Asia 2026
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
Samarkand, June 2, 2026 — The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with the support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), organized a side event titled “Eco-Industrial Parks as a Driver of Green Industrial Transformation in Uzbekistan” at the Uzbekistan Pavilion during Eco Expo Central Asia 2026.
The side event brought together representatives of government institutions, development partners, industrial zone administrations, private sector representatives and experts to discuss the practical results of the “Introduction of Eco-Industrial Parks in Uzbekistan” project and opportunities for scaling up the Eco-Industrial Parks approach across the country.
The session opened with welcoming remarks by Ms. Tatiana Chernyavskaya, EIP Uzbekistan Project Manager at UNIDO, and Mr. Igor Eromenko, Component Manager of Green Industrialization in Uzbekistan at GIZ Uzbekistan. In their opening statements, they emphasized the importance of international cooperation, policy support and practical pilot implementation in advancing Uzbekistan’s green industrial transformation.
A keynote presentation was delivered by Mr. Branko Dunjic, International EIP Expert at UNIDO, who presented the main results, outcomes and achievements of the project’s first phase. He highlighted that the EIP approach supports industrial zones and tenant companies in improving competitiveness while reducing environmental impacts through resource efficiency, cleaner production, industrial symbiosis, renewable energy solutions, circular economy practices and improved park management.
As part of the project, two pilot zones — Urgut Free Economic Zone in Samarkand region and Mechanic Small Industrial Zone in Fergana — were supported in applying international EIP principles. The project contributed to the development of EIP action plans, resource efficiency assessments, industrial synergy opportunities, renewable energy feasibility work, wastewater treatment solutions and capacity-building activities for national experts and zone stakeholders.
The presentation also underlined key achievements in the area of Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production. Assessments were conducted in 20 pilot companies, resulting in the identification of more than 90 measures with significant potential for energy, water and emissions savings. A number of proposed measures have already been implemented by companies, demonstrating that EIP principles can deliver practical economic and environmental benefits.
The policy and regulatory dimension of the EIP approach was presented by Mr. Timur Kovshov, representative of the Institute of Legislation and Legal Policy under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. His intervention focused on ongoing work to institutionalize the EIP concept in Uzbekistan’s legal and regulatory framework, including legislative proposals and future plans for the adoption of relevant policy measures.
The local experience of project implementation was shared by Mr. Mirjakhon Yazdanov, representative of the Urgut Free Economic Zone Administration. He presented the progress achieved in Urgut FEZ through cooperation with UNIDO, GIZ and national partners, including practical measures to improve resource efficiency, strengthen zone management and attract green investment. Mr. Yazdanov expressed appreciation to the project implementing parties, experts and donor organization for their continued support in advancing sustainable industrial development in the region.
The official session was followed by a moderated question-and-answer session, during which participants discussed opportunities for replication of the EIP approach in other industrial zones of Uzbekistan, the importance of policy support, access to finance, technical capacity and the role of industrial zone administrations in driving green transformation.
At the end of the event, participants joined a group photo session, followed by informal networking. The networking segment provided an opportunity for government representatives, development partners, experts and industrial zone stakeholders to exchange views on further cooperation and the next steps for scaling up Eco-Industrial Parks in Uzbekistan.
The side event reaffirmed the relevance of Eco-Industrial Parks as a practical model for sustainable industrial development, combining economic competitiveness, environmental performance and social benefits. Building on the achievements of the first phase, the project creates a strong foundation for broader replication of EIP principles in existing and new industrial zones across Uzbekistan.
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