Kazakhstan Aims to be Sustainable Development Leader

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Although Kazakhstan is richly blessed with energy resources, its current renewable energy electricity generation excluding hydropower is under 1%.  However, Kazakhstan’s goal is sustainable development of alternative energy sources and it will most likely become the regional leader in renewable energy production.  Despite being among the world’s top emitters per unit GDP, it has launched a national plan for a green economy with a carbon emission trading proposal.

Next year, Kazakhstan’s capital city, Astana, will host EXPO 2017, a worldwide event to educate the public, share innovations and best practices and promote progress and cooperation bringing together countries, international organizations, the private sector, companies, and the public.

Considering sustainable development of energy resources an ecological issue, Kazakhstan realizes that it is counterproductive to rely on large reserves of rare metals, minerals and oil and gas deposits without diversifying its economic base.  This is why the country chose the theme Future Energy for EXPO 2017.

To showcase the Future Energy theme, Kazakhstan is creating a mini-city site for the EXPO to serve as a permanent addition to Astana giving the country a foundation for its expanding business and technology community.  In addition to structures to attract international finance, the mini-city will contain an international Financial Center operating under English law.  The EXPO infrastructure construction is a collaboration between private sector sponsors and the state.

While there are post-Soviet governance issues still apparent in Kazakhstan, the government has progressed in democratic reform, election fairness, transparency, accountability, rule of law and judicial reform. 

Hosting EXPO 2017 speaks to Kazakhstan’s vision for the future as it rebrands and recreates itself as a viable participant in global sustainable development.  Please contact us for information on rewarding sustainable development initiatives in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

 

 

 

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