Keeping up with the United Nations – Marat Shashkenov

Kazakhstan has made significant progress, particularly through the adoption of key strategic documents, such as the Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060 and the updated Concept for Transition to a Green Economy, both of which set a strong foundation for sustainability and align with the Paris Agreement. The focus now shifts to the effective implementation of these strategic documents, as their success will largely depend on turning plans into action.

The country faces significant environmental challenges in its pursuit of a green and sustainable economy. Transitioning away from fossil fuels is particularly difficult, as they play a major role in the country’s GDP and exports. Although there are ongoing investments in renewable energy, more substantial investments are still needed in grid modernisation, energy storage, and integration of renewables into the power system. Furthermore, air pollution, land degradation, and water scarcity remain pressing issues. Climate change further exacerbates these challenges, making climate resilience and adaptation measures crucial.

Where do we start! Kazakhstan joined PAGE in 2018 and over the past 6 years has supported developing, improving, and operationalizing the strategic framework for green economic development of the country. In this vein, PAGE supported the development and adoption of Kazakhstan’s Environmental Code (2021), Carbon Neutrality Strategy (2023), Green Economy Concept (2024). At the same time, PAGE has worked also in specific sectors and thematic areas, such as sustainable procurement, industrial decarbonization, green economy learning, environmental quality, waste management, and fiscal reform.

All through the PAGE implementation, collaboration with the RCO has been very close. For example, earlier this year, PAGE supported the development of the Common Country Analysis (CCA) for Kazakhstan, with a special focus on environmental sustainability and climate change. By integrating inputs from a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, the private sector, academia, and civil society, the CCA ensures a holistic understanding of the country’s sustainable development context. This analysis forms the backbone of the next Cooperation Framework between the UN and the Government of Kazakhstan for 2026-2030 to advance the SDGs.

Looking ahead, one of the main priorities for advancing Kazakhstan’s green economy agenda is designing and successfully implementing the next generation of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) through 2035. As agreed at COP28, Kazakhstan along with other countries, needs to submit NDC 3.0 in 2025 ahead of COP30. Nowadays, the UNCT actively assists the Government by offering over 30 types of support for NDC development, including technical assistance, scenario modelling and projections, as well as institutional strengthening.

In the current NDC, Kazakhstan has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 15% (unconditional) and up to 25% (conditional) by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Looking forward, further enhancing these targets and outlining sector-specific pathways for their achievement will be essential for scaling climate action. Kazakhstan must prioritize green finance mechanisms, while leveraging public-private partnerships to fund the green transition. For the successful implementation of its NDC, Kazakhstan also needs to enhance institutional capacity and foster societal shift towards sustainable practices. Finally, strengthening the systems for monitoring, reporting, and verifying emissions reductions is a key priority for ensuring transparency and accountability in NDC implementation.