On 31 March, British Embassy in Turkmenistan and a renowned British company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) organised a video conference to present the results of a joint project on the development of a high-level analysis of international and regional best practices in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation and accelerate low carbon transition ahead of COP26 and beyond.

This analysis, combined with a high-level overview of the current climate change impact and mitigation efforts undertaken, is intended to facilitate identification of opportunities that can support Turkmenistan on its path towards clean sustainable growth.

During this virtual event, the findings of PwC’s high-level analysis were presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan (MFA), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection of Turkmenistan, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, State Concerns Turkmenoil and Turkmengas, Ministry of Electrical Energy of Turkmenistan, Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and other key government stakeholders. The project and its outcomes were very well received by the participants.

In his remarks, John Hamilton, Charge d’Affaires a.i. of the British Embassy highlighted the global significance of the upcoming COP26 and the UK Government’s COP plans. Mr Hamilton noted that the British Embassy was really happy to continue work in partnership with all relevant bodies in the country, in government, industry and civil society as well as the international community partners to help Turkmenistan on its path to a sustainable and climate secure future.Finally, he expressed hope that this high-level analytical report would help in that journey.

In their turn, the representatives of the MFA, UNDP and Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection praised ongoing fruitful cooperation in tackling climate change between the UK and Turkmenistan. They unanimously welcomed the practical findings of the report and confirmed the usefulness of these findings for Turkmenistan’s preparation work on the new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Fourth Communication to UNFCCC.

At the end of the conference, Turkmen side expressed readiness and necessity to continue pragmatic cooperation with the UK and other international partners on joint work of tackling climate change and its negative impacts on the population.

*For detailed report about the results of analysis, please contact Eldar.Latypov@fcdo.gov.uk at the British Embassy in Ashgabat.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) are pleased to launch Phase 2 of the Windfarm Mitigation for UK Air Defence competition.

Total funding of up to £3.6 million over two financial years is available for Phase 2 of the competition, from which DASA expect to fund 5-6 projects with contracts of up to £600K each.

The closing date of Phase 2 is 15 June 2021.

The competition is funded by the BEIS Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and is undertaken in partnership with the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and DASA.

Want to submit a proposal? Check out the full competition document

The situation: Windfarms and their impact on air surveillance

Offshore Wind in the United Kingdom (UK) is crucial for domestic energy demands and decreasing the cost of low-carbon generation technology. To achieve Net Zero targets outlined by Her Majesty’s Government (HMG), the UK will need additional offshore windfarms around the UK, both fixed bottom structures and floating structures.

However, the continued development of wind turbine sites has the potential to cause several negative effects for military air defence and air traffic control systems.

The challenges: How windfarms can be detrimental to radar capability

Windfarms may curtail the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) ability to detect incoming, low flying aircraft threats because:

• wind turbines that are within radar line-of-sight can comprise reflections from both the static and moving elements
• rotating turbine blades impart a Doppler shift on a reflection that cannot be easily removed, and also mimics the signals of fast moving aircraft
• current mitigation methodologies do not meet the expected operational requirements
• mitigations applied to civilian radar systems cannot apply to MOD primary surveillance radar assets
• future windfarms will increase in size and number, with turbine blades expecting to reach a length over 130 metres, while also moving at an increased speed

What does this mean?

Consider a low flying object near a windfarm. The ability to detect and track the object may be disrupted because of excessive radar clutter.

Or consider a fast flying jet making a sharp turn over a windfarm. The entry trajectory may not match the exit trajectory due to the presence of windfarm radar clutter, inhibiting surveillance capability. Being able to confirm that signals apply to the same object is of paramount importance.

This is where we need the help of industry. What innovations are DASA looking for?

• alternative technologies that could reduce radar clutter caused by offshore windfarms
• improvements to the probability of intruder detection
• the capability to fill or remove gaps in radar coverage
• alternatives to radar
• solutions to the cumulative effect of windfarm development
• metasurfaces applied to, or alterations to the design of, the wind turbines
• alterations to the initial radar signal or radar station or processing of the return

Do I need to have taken part in Phase 1 to take part in Phase 2?

It is not compulsory to have been involved in Phase 1 of this competition to apply for Phase 2 however we encourage you to be aware of the previous competition and the bids we funded. It is anticipated that work for this phase will reach higher maturity than work funded in Phase 1.

For more information about this Phase, see the competition document.

Take our survey!

For this phase we are encouraging collaboration between suppliers. To support this we have a short survey to collect details of suppliers who wish to explore collaboration possibilities. This list will then be circulated to all those who have signed up on a weekly basis.

The competition will close at midday BST on 17 June 2021. Submit your idea: Check out the full competition document

Mister Chair,

The UK thanks the US delegation for placing Earth Day on the Permanent Council’s agenda. This international day marking environmental action draws in an estimated one billion people worldwide.

We welcome the United States’ hosting of the Leaders Summit on Climate today and tomorrow. As our Prime Minister has said, climate change is a threat to our collective security and the security of our nations. There is a need for us, collectively and individually, to step up and increase our ambition.

There is an urgent need for stronger climate action on mitigation, finance and adaptation. These will be central themes as we look ahead to COP26 this November in Glasgow.

In 2019, the UK passed a law committing us to achieving net zero carbon-emissions by 2050. This week we announced we would reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. The sixth Carbon Budget, once enshrined in law, will commit us to the fastest fall in greenhouse gas emissions of any major economy. It will also help keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees alive.

The OSCE can play a role. It is well-placed to act on the security implications of climate change because of its experience in crisis management, conflict prevention and confidence building; and can provide a platform for political dialogue. Climate change is as much a geopolitical issue as it is an environmental one.

It is a matter of when, not if, our respective countries and populations will have to deal with the security impacts of climate change. So let us show what is needed to protect the peace, the security and the stability of our nations, of the OSCE region, and of our world.

We, all of us, need to act now to protect our planet for future generations.

Thank you.

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