Throughout the Astana Worldwide Discussion board (AIF), Zulfiya Suleimenova, Particular Consultant of the President of Kazakhstan on Local weather and Environmental Points, spoke to us in an unique interview in regards to the nation’s evolving local weather coverage, vitality transition plans, and worldwide co-operation.
From shifting away from coal by the event of nuclear vitality to constructing stronger ties with the European Union and proposing regional meals safety hubs, Suleimenova detailed how Kazakhstan is navigating the complicated intersection of local weather resilience, financial improvement, and environmental justice. “We do not actually need to depart anybody behind,” she emphasised, because the nation units out to implement what it calls a simply and inclusive vitality transition.
Kazakhstan is rising as a proactive participant in world environmental cooperation, with a daring agenda pushed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Zulfiya Suleimenova, Advisor to the President and his Particular Consultant on Worldwide Environmental Cooperation, shared in a latest dialogue how the Central Asian nation is placing local weather and ecological priorities entrance and middle.
“One of many very first choices that President Tokayev made again in 2019, when he simply grew to become President, was to re-establish the Ministry of Ecology,” Suleimenova recalled. “Sadly, we didn’t have this company for a number of years, and that was one in all his very first choices.”
Since then, environmental coverage has turn into a pillar of the Tokayev administration. Kazakhstan’s management was on full show at COP29, the place President Tokayev was the first head of state to talk on the World Leaders’ Summit. “As a result of our President could be very energetic on local weather and environmental points, he attended COP29,” mentioned Suleimenova. “My job is to guarantee that his initiatives and imaginative and prescient on setting and local weather get applied and turn into a actuality for us.”
Among the many President’s most bold proposals is a Regional Ecological Summit, slated for subsequent yr in Astana. The Kazakh capital is about to host the Regional Local weather Summit 2026 (RCS 2026), a landmark occasion geared toward boosting regional cooperation on local weather change.
“We’re planning to host [it] in partnership with the United Nations and different worldwide organizations,” Suleimenova mentioned. “The concept of this summit isn’t just to convey the leaders collectively, but in addition to have them endorse joint approaches to addressing environmental points and the triple planetary disaster.”
This holistic view extends to biodiversity. President Tokayev just lately introduced the institution of an Worldwide Fund for Biodiversity Conservation, a undertaking he’ll personally lead.
The Fund goals to create a mechanism for financing tasks geared toward preserving the organic variety of Kazakhstan.
Suleimenova has been instantly concerned on the bottom: “I used to be a part of a scientific expedition of the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology. Not many individuals know, however within the Caspian Sea, now we have Caspian seals, that are the least researched on the planet among the many seals.”
President Tokayev has referred to as on Caspian littoral states to accentuate cooperation: “He mentioned that we needs to be selling environmental monitoring and information alternate within the Caspian Sea.” Kazakhstan has designated its portion of the Caspian as a protected space, with a marine reserve particularly for the Caspian seals. In line with Suleimenova, “Our environmental regulation on the Kazakhstan portion of the Caspian Sea is the strictest.”
To strengthen regional science and coverage, Kazakhstan has launched a brand new Caspian Institute, tasked with analysis on local weather, biodiversity, and sustainable improvement of the area. “We’re, in a means, rethinking the best way how we see the ocean and the way we would like these areas to maneuver ahead,” Suleimenova emphasised.
Kazakhstan was the first nation within the creating world to determine a nationwide Emissions Buying and selling System (ETS), launched in 2013. Nonetheless, issues stay in regards to the effectiveness and pricing. “The carbon value in Kazakhstan is certainly low,” Suleimenovaacknowledged, however added, “We have been the second ones on the planet after the EU to determine an emissions buying and selling system.”
The nation is now modernizing this method. “We simply launched a brand new undertaking referred to as Partnership for Market Implementation in partnership with the World Financial institution,” she mentioned. This system goals to maneuver away from free quotas towards auctioning, introduce extra strong benchmarking, and enhance transparency and verification mechanisms.
“In the long run, we are going to step by step begin integrating new gases, new installations, and new industries,” she mentioned. “As soon as now we have higher mechanisms and higher transparency, we consider the worth will step by step be going up.”
Kazakhstan stays agency in its worldwide local weather commitments, regardless of world uncertainties. “We now have dedicated to decreasing our carbon emissions by 15% by 2030 and 25% by 2030 contingent to further worldwide assist and expertise switch,” mentioned Suleimenova. “By 2060, now we have established a purpose of reaching carbon neutrality.”
Over 80% of the nation’s emissions come from the vitality sector, making decarbonization of vitality infrastructure the cornerstone of the local weather transition roadmap.
For Suleimenova, the work is deeply private in addition to political. “My job is to mainly translate the President’s imaginative and prescient into motion,” she mentioned. “But additionally see what is going on on the bottom and provides recommendation on how we might be extra environment friendly.”
Because the nation prepares to host the upcoming Regional Ecological Summit and leads with new science-driven establishments, Kazakhstan is positioning itself not simply as a accountable regional actor, however as a local weather chief on the worldwide stage.
The controversy on Nuclear vitality began in Kazakhstan. “Carbon neutrality is effectively vitality transition,” mentioned Suleimenova. “So we have to rethink the best way we’re doing the vitality sector and the utilizing of flamable sources of vitality in our vitality system.”
Kazakhstan goals to succeed in 15% renewable vitality in its combine by 2030 and is presently at 6.5%. “We’re very properly on monitor really,” she famous. The federal government has taken energetic measures to assist this progress by auctions and by “de-risking” investments in renewables.
In a bid to supply stability to traders, Kazakhstan has launched five-year planning cycles for renewable vitality auctions. Nonetheless, the transition from coal stays a crucial problem. “There’s a query in regards to the base load capability and easy methods to transition away from utilizing coal, as a result of Kazakhstan primarily makes use of coal,” she admitted.
This actuality prompted a nationwide referendum in October 2023 on nuclear vitality. “As President [Tokayev] famous in his speech, we produce over 40% of world uranium,” Suleimenova reminded. “Given that nuclear energy is likely one of the low-carbon choices when it comes to vitality and is a steady vitality supply, it will not be a really smart determination to not look into the nuclear.”
Following public approval, Kazakhstan has now established a brand new company for nuclear vitality improvement and is contemplating the development of as much as three nuclear energy vegetation. “We consider that by creating this nuclear vitality, it’s going to assist us to decarbonise our vitality sector and vitality footprint.”
To make sure inclusiveness, Kazakhstan is creating its personal Simply Vitality Transition Platform, working intently with worldwide monetary establishments. “The Government Director of the Inexperienced Local weather Fund additionally visited Kazakhstan only a few days in the past,” Suleimenova revealed.
As introduced by President Tokayev, the JETP is a complete framework that encompasses a number of key objectives together with growing Kazakhstan’s manufacturing and export of crucial minerals, investing in renewable vitality applied sciences, and co-operating with worldwide companions to develop new provide chains.
Partnership with the EU: Important Minerals and Clear Tech
Kazakhstan’s local weather agenda is intently linked to worldwide cooperation, notably with the European Union. “The EU is one in all our crucial commerce companions,” she mentioned. A key space of collaboration is on uncommon earth and demanding minerals. “We now have a memorandum with the European Union on sustainable manufacturing of the crucial minerals.”
“To provide extra of the clear tech, you want extra entry to crucial minerals,” Suleimenova defined, including that Kazakhstan shouldn’t be solely a producer but in addition possesses the infrastructure, human capital, and experience to assist downstream manufacturing. “We are very a lot wanting ahead to working with the EU not simply on exporting, however on constructing full manufacturing cycles.“
In conclusion, she highlighted the urgency of Meals safety.. “by 2040, the manufacturing of the meals could drop. “That is going to influence world meals costs and world meals safety,” she warned. President Tokayev has proposed a regional meals safety hub in Almaty to deal with meals stockpiles for emergencies. “We might be very prepared to host a regional hub on meals safety in Almaty,” she confirmed. “My nation, because the world’s seventh largest grain producer, is the breadbasket of Central Asia,” Tokayev mentioned in his speech addressing the 78th session of the UN Common Meeting in New York.
Kazakhstan boasts huge agricultural lands, overlaying roughly 202 million hectares, or 74 % of the nation’s land, making it one of many world’s largest nations by agricultural land space. The nation’s favorable geography and different local weather create a conducive setting for grain cultivation.
Kazakhstan additionally hosts the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Centre on Meals Safety, reinforcing its regional management. “We’re selling the meals safety subject not simply on this smaller area, however past that,” Suleimenova famous.
The Astana Worldwide Discussion board, she concluded, is the proper place for Kazakhstan to attach concepts and forge options. “As a result of alone, whereas we as Kazakhstan are selling totally different options, it requires partnerships and cooperation.”
Bibliography
Kazakhstan Able to Develop into Regional Meals Provide Hub: President – Caspian Information