LocationsUNDP and Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources discussed the cooperation to support Kazakhstan’s low-carbon development path
April 10, 2023
Today, UNDP Resident Representative Katarzyna Wawiernia met with Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Zulfiya Suleimenova. The parties compared notes on the main areas of cooperation under the current 2021-2025 Country Programme, that contribute to strengthening the country's resilience to climate change, advancing "green" economy instruments, and promoting investment in the sustainable use and conservation of Kazakhstan's natural resources and ecosystems.
During the meeting, the UNDP Resident Representative highlighted that UNDP welcomes the Government's decision to become carbon-neutral by 2060 and congratulated on the adoption of this important visionary document. Ms. Wawiernia also mentioned that to achieve this ambitious goal private funding is critical. UNDP has been testing catalytic and innovative instruments such as carbon offsets, green subsidies, green loan guarantees, green bonds, etc. to crowd in private investment in green and just energy transition, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
Ms. Suleimenova thanked UNDP for the technical support provided to the Government during the previous climate COPs’ preparations and negotiations and mentioned that this year the President is planning to attend the COP28 in Dubai to pledge a commitment towards carbon neutral and climate resilient future.
Continued joint programming under GEF, GCF, bilateral donors and government cost sharing agreements was also discussed among the priority agenda items. This included several important areas such as National Adaptation Planning, regional Aral Sea project, integrated programme for Caspian Sea, re-introduction of Turan Tiger and next generation small grants programme.
The parties also discussed potential funding opportunities through the Paris Agreement mechanisms. One of these is the "Joint Crediting Mechanism" (JCM), a new tool for achieving countries' climate commitments, which was discussed by Japanese officials and the Kazakh delegation during a recent UNDP-supported study tour to Japan. Ms. Wawiernia confirmed that UNDP is ready to take the lead in developing appropriate institutional arrangements, protocols, and regulatory framework to help Kazakhstan access carbon markets.
UNDP has been part of the country’s development progress since early independence having implemented more than 200 projects worth over US$200 million on the national, regional and local levels in a wide array of areas: from improving irrigation networks to sustainable forest management, from piloting a community policing model to digital transformation of the civil service system for better service delivery to the public. Presently, UNDP’s activity in the country is guided by the Country Programme, aligned with the national development priorities.
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