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4.37. In 2013, Parliament adopted the National Forest Concept (NFC). The Concept noted several weaknesses, such as imperfect legislation, lack of planning, violations of the licensing system, and poor enforcement, which it proposed to rectify by implementing a systemic approach for the Government to deal with ongoing issues of the forestry sector. The NFC proposed appropriate state supervision of forest management planning, voluntary and independent certification of forests, and an increase in the contribution of timber harvesting and processing to the national economy to study the potential tourist and recreational use of forests. The Concept has led to several initiatives or reforms during the review period, including Georgia's first Forest Inventory in 2018.

4.38. The National Food Agency (NFA) is the independent agency under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) tasked with forest maintenance and restoration, sustainable use of forests, implementation of forest care and restoration, control over the territory of the forest fund, and implementation of forest registration. The MEPA retains the competence over developing forest policy through its Department of Biodiversity and Forestry.

4.39. More recently, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) has elaborated the Forest Code, which was adopted by Parliament in May 2020 and entered into force on 1 January 2021. The new law is based on internationally recognized principles, which aim to establish sustainable silviculture. Within the outline of the National Forest Concept (NFC), the Code redefines the term "forest" according to international standards, discards the practice of long-term licensing of timber harvesting, recognizes new forms of forest property, and introduces a new system of categorization of forests. One of the significant changes was the initiative to put the non-timber resource extraction sector under regulation. Most importantly, in practical terms, it prohibits the long-standing practice of persons obtaining firewood from forests (unless obtaining a ticket (permit)), directs all commercial felling through the National Food Agency (NFA), establishes forest plantations, and puts the NFA in charge of distribution, price, quality, and marketing of wood/primary products.

4.40. In June 2021, the National Food Agency (NFA) established a new development strategy and action plan for the period 2021-26. The plan identifies a number of key goals and an annual action plan to achieve them. For example, developing forest restoration and maintenance were identified as areas to be improved. Other key areas include, inter alia, forest management, employee development, community awareness, multipurpose forest use, strengthening governance.

4.41. (...) dependence on forests for fuel has created challenges for sustainability and restoration efforts, and has led to illegal felling. Lack of forest inventory and management plans has also been an issue for the sector in recent years. However, with the adoption of the new Forest Code, a new stage of sectoral reform was initiated that aims to change the existing practice of social cuts. The forest sector reform envisages a new mechanism for the sustainable provision of fuelwood and timber through National Food Agency (NFA) operated Business Service Yards (BSYs) to support procurement, concentration, sorting, utilization, marketing, and distribution of wood. According to the new Code, social cuts will be phased out and prohibited from 2023, and the NFA will organize all timber production, sorting, storage, and selling of firewood through BSYs. The marketing or selling of wood is through electronic timber selling auctions. (...)

12.2. The UAE has made significant progress over the years in meeting the challenges of energy and climate change through the implementation of national plans as well as the strategic plans of each emirate. The UAE has built the necessary enablers that correspond to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations for 2030. In addition, the UAE has committed more than AED 3.1 billion (USD 840 million) to support the development of renewable energy in more than 30 countries.

12.3. The UAE National Energy Strategy, launched in 2017, aims to diversify the UAE's energy sources through the continued development of renewables, nuclear and fossil fuels to ensure a balance between the country's economic needs and environmental goals. As part of this strategy, the UAE will invest AED 600 billion (USD 163 billion) by 2050.

[12.3. The UAE National Energy Strategy, launched in 2017]
12.4. Through the strategy, the UAE aims to raise the efficiency of individual and the institutional consumption by 40% and increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix produced in the country to 50% by 2050.

12.5. Today, the UAE is role model in its pursuit of peaceful nuclear energy. Nuclear energy plays a key role in the National Energy Strategy, supporting the diversification of the energy mix while reducing the grid GHG emissions. The UAE currently has two reactors online at Barakah Nuclear Plant and has plans to operationalize two additional reactors by 2024.

12.6. With the highest portfolio of renewables in the region, the UAE is a front-runner in the clean energy transition within the GCC. In 2019, the UAE's total clean energy capacity was 1,875 MW, which increased to 4,500 MW in 2020.