Along with strengthening environmental regulations and their enforcement, enhance the use of pricing instruments, extend green procurement and eco-labelling programmes in order to stimulate the demand for environmental technology, and improve the information base about the market and job opportunities around sustainability . Innovation policies in emerging market economies like
Uzbekistan have given progressively more emphasis to environmental technology, although often in an
inconsistent manner. Environmental goods and services markets are growing in the country thanks to
better environmental regulations and increased infrastructure investment, but not robustly. Most such
goods and services remain imported.
10.
Ensure that environmental policies do not impose costs on the most vulnerable. Development projects
in sectors such as mining and energy have degraded land, water and air that are essential to the health
and livelihoods of rural communities, sometimes resulting in conflict. Systematic environmental and
social assessment of projects, better public participation in decision making and careful consideration of
distributional impacts of policies are needed. The widespread international development co-operation
enjoyed by Uzbekistan can help leverage domestic resources to help address environmental and poverty
alleviation objectives in an integrated way.
11.
Build human and institutional capacity for effective implementation. Ministerial and other
coordinating bodies relating to green growth are in place, but they need strengthening to break down
silos across institutions and policies, and improve oversight and monitoring. Responsibilities for
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delivering results need to be more clearly identified, and there could be stronger mechanisms in place to
hold those with responsibilities accountable for delivering results. Civil society institutions, especially
environment NGOs could also play important roles in developing proposals, monitoring project
progress, and serving as whistleblowers. The Government could strengthen their capabilities through
increasing grant support and financing trainings.
12.