President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed decree creating National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change in place of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change by separating it from the Cabinet of Ministers, and keeping staff.

The Committee will be in charge of implementation of national policies and oversight in keeping stable, favorable environmental situation, environmental protection, implementing the Yashil Makon (Green Space) National Project, increasing forests, mitigating the effects of climate change, and combating desertification.

The new agency will report directly to the president. The chairman of the Committee will also serve as an advisor to the President on environmental issues.

Another presidential decree stipulates that the Committee on Ecology shall operate independently of all government bodies and organizations, as well as their officials. Officials of other bodies shall not be allowed to Interfere in its activities.

The decree establishes that the provincial divisions and departments of the committee's districts (cities) are not part of the structure of local executive authorities, but rather carry out their activities independently and report to the committee.

The Agency for Afforestation and Expansion of Green Zones, Combating Desertification, the Hydrometeorological Service Agency, and the Agency for Waste Management and Circular Economy Development will continue to operate under the new committee.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Committee under the now former Ministry of Ecology will be transformed into the Tourism Committee.

The National Center for Environmental Monitoring has been created in place of the Center for Specialized Analytical Control in the Field of Environmental Protection under the Committee on Ecology.

National Projects that Committee will be in charge of:

In addition to its primary duties, the Committee on Ecology shall be in charge of the implementation of the following national projects:

• Waste-Free Territory, aimed at improving waste recycling and management systems;
• Clean Air, aimed at improving air quality; Yashil Makon, aimed at creating additional botanical and dendrological parks in Karakalpakstan, the provinces, and Tashkent with a total area of ​​at least 100 hectares by 2028;
• Ecoculture, aimed at fostering eco-traditions and widely promoting an ecological lifestyle among the population; and Bionasledie, aimed at preserving biodiversity for future generations.
• A project office, Ecoproject Factory, will also be set up under the committee, involving up to 15 foreign and domestic experts under civil law contracts.

The decree has also created the State Inspectorate for Environmental Control of the Committee on Ecology (Ecopolice).

The Ecopolice is a special unit of the Committee on Ecology, tasked with specific law enforcement tasks in the area of ​​environmental safety and offense prevention.

Ecopolice officers, in particular, shall be authorized to use physical force, special means (electric shock devices), and service weapons (with rubber bullets and mesh weapons). Their uniforms are also equipped with body cameras.

Until legislative amendments are made regarding the use of physical force, special means, and service weapons, the grounds and conditions defined in the Police Law shall apply to Ecopolice officers.

The environmental police shall be permitted to establish their own territorial units, regardless of the boundaries of administrative-territorial units within the boundaries of natural ecological zones.

The president has assigned oversight of the implementation of the decree and resolution to his chief of staff, Saida Mirziyoyeva.