A new system aimed at fostering ecological awareness and environmental protection has been launched in Uzbekistan, following a decree by the Cabinet of Ministers on April 21. This initiative is part of the nationwide 'One Million Green Families' movement and seeks to incentivize citizens and businesses to engage in environmentally responsible practices.

Under the system, the statuses of 'Eco-Active Citizen' and 'Green Entrepreneur' are awarded on a competitive basis: the former quarterly and the latter annually. The competitions are organized by the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change through dedicated platforms, ekofaolfuqaro.uz and yashiltadbirkor.uz. Participants register on these platforms and submit data on their ecological activities, which are evaluated against set criteria.

The assessment process is fully digitized and automated. For citizens, information such as transport usage, utility payments, and energy consumption is verified through integration with state agency databases. The 'Eco-Active Citizen' status is granted to the top 50 scorers from each region, with requirements to maintain at least 80 points per month over three months, totaling 240 points, to retain the status.

Individuals awarded the 'Eco-Active Citizen' status receive a 10% discount on state services and preferential terms for consumer loans in banks with over 50% state ownership. For business entities, the 'Green Entrepreneur' status is given to the 10 highest-scoring enterprises, which also gain benefits such as tax or customs privileges.

Winners are honored in ceremonial events by regional branches of the Ecology Committee by the 20th of the month following each quarter's end. In exceptional cases, the statuses may be awarded without competition by decision of the Committee's chairman to individuals demonstrating outstanding ecological commitment. The system's primary goal is to engage citizens and businesses in sustainable practices to mitigate environmental impact.

Source: www.gazeta.uz