Intended Nationally Determined Contribution of the Republic of Armenia under the UN Climate Change Framework Convention.

This Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) of Armenia is presented in accordance with decision 1/CP.20 UNFCCC "Lima call for action to address climate change". It is a multi-sectoral policy document. The geographical location of the Republic of Armenia (landlocked mountainous country with vulnerable ecosystems), and the country’s need to ensure its national security, necessitates the prioritization of climate change adaptation. The climate change mitigation actions should not reverse the social and economic trends, but contribute to the socioeconomic development of the Republic of Armenia. These actions must be based on an ‘ecosystem approach’, which is preferred by the Republic of Armenia, since it allows to maximize the synergies between mitigation and adaptation actions in most sectors of the economy, facilitating fair regional cooperation and contributing to solidarity. The timeframe for the INDC is 2015-2030.
The main sectors included in the mitigation contribution are: (a) energy (including renewable energy and energy efficiency); (b) transport (including development of electrical transport); (c) urban development (including buildings and construction); (d) industrial processes (construction materials and chemical production); (e) waste management (solid waste, waste water, agricultural waste); and (f) land use and forestry (afforestation, forest protection, carbon storage in soil).
Greenhouse gases considered: (a) carbon dioxide (CO2); (b) methane (CH4); (c) nitrous oxide (N2O); and (d) hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The emissions and absorption of mentioned gases are calculated in CO2 equivalent, according to the “global warming potential” defined by IPCC Second Assessment Report ".
Adaptation activities will be prioritized based on the most vulnerable sectors to climate change: (a) natural ecosystems (aquatic and terrestrial, including forest ecosystems, biodiversity and land cover); (b) human health; (c) water resource management; (d) agriculture, including fishery and forests; (e) energy; (f) human settlements and infrastructures; and (g) tourism.
Measures to be undertaken: (a) creation of a favorable environment for technology development and transfer; (b) strengthening the system of legal protection of intellectual property rights; (c) professional training and education on climate change-related issues, as well as enhance cooperation at the international and regional levels.