Abstract: As climate change becomes the greatest issue of this century, countries are looking for sustainable solutions to effectively control their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Uzbekistan, being one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change effects, is taking notable actions toward a low-carbon economy. In this line, there is a significant need for a thorough assessment of the country?s current decarbonization measures, its prospects, and possible directions of CO2 emission reduction in both governmental and academic spheres, which is the primary aim of this research. To reach these objectives, this study estimates, for the first time, the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission trends in Uzbekistan and their sector-by-sector contribution. Additionally, various carbon emission reduction pathways are discussed emphasizing the potential for the transition to renewable energy sources (RES) and carbon capture, storage, and utilization (CCSU) technology integration. According to the results, the annual CO2 emission in Uzbekistan was about 116 Mt with 3.27 t per capita in 2021. Expectedly, with the share of 87%, power and industrial sectors contribute most to it. Over 80% of the country´s CO2 emissions come from natural gas combustion, producing low-concentration flue gas. The resulting increased cost of CO2 separation from large point sources decreases the CCSU application potential in the abundantly present oil and gas reservoirs. Under these circumstances, future investigations can focus on improving CO2 separation, exploring onshore and offshore storage, integrating RES, and promoting collaborative decarbonization actions among neighbouring countries.

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