The Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources has reviewed a draft law “On Amendments to the Law of Georgia on Environmental Protection,” along with its accompanying legislative package. The proposed amendments aim to establish a comprehensive framework for monitoring and regulating greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
Under the draft law, operators will be required to monitor, report, and verify greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis. Each operator must submit an emissions report to the relevant authorization-issuing authority. These reports will be subject to verification by the LEPL “Single National Accreditation Body – Accreditation Center,” operating within the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, or by a conformity assessment body accredited by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) in a relevant field and recognized under the multilateral recognition agreement.
The proposed legislation creates the legal foundation for a national Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system for greenhouse gas emissions in Georgia, detailing its structure and operational procedures. The amendments are also designed to ensure Georgia’s compliance with its obligations under the Energy Community Treaty, aligning the country’s environmental regulations with European standards.
The draft law was submitted to Parliament by Zurab Ezugbaia, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, who presented the key provisions to lawmakers.
According to the rapporteur, the National Environmental Agency will serve as the authorization authority for all regulated activities, with the exception of the aviation sector. Oversight and authorization of aviation-related emissions will fall under the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Agency.
