Kazakhstan

In collaboration with GIZ, PAGE is assisting Kazakhstan in developing a ‘National Low Carbon Development Concept 2050 (LCDC)’, with finalization in 2021. The LCDC aims to reach goals set within the ‘National Development Strategy Kazakhstan 2050’, including social, environmental and economic elements. The LCDC will be based on the modelling of scenarios and development pathways in nine sectors and will outline the transformation required to meet long-term emissions targets and socio-economic goals, accounting for evolutions in technologies and business models. It will be complementary to the Green Economy Concept, which supports mid-term policy planning.  

Draft content for the LCDC has been discussed over a series of technical consultations with more than 100 representatives of governmental bodies, international organizations and NGOs — which will ultimately inform the newly established high-level working group under the deputy Prime Minister.

PAGE specifically contributes to the chapters on waste management and circularity and the reform of fiscal policies, including fossil fuel subsidies.

In 2020, PAGE supported the UN’s COVID Response Management Team (CRMT) in Kazakhstan with policy advice to integrate the principles of green and inclusive economic development into the strategies and policies under development by the government. In particular, PAGE provided guidance on the integration of green economy into an updated ‘National Development Strategy Kazakhstan 2025’. UNDP and PAGE consulted with the Ministry of Economy to develop a chapter on green economy.

PAGE is also contributing to the second phase of the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of COVID-19 in Kazakhstan, initiated by UN agencies based in the country under the leadership of UN Resident Coordinator. In particular, PAGE provided guidance on the integration of green economy into an updated ‘National Development Strategy Kazakhstan 2025’. UNDP and PAGE consulted with the Ministry of Economy to develop a draft chapter on green economy, currently under consideration by the President’s office.

PAGE is assisting with the development of fiscal policy analysis for specific sectors, which will contribute to NDC implementation under the LCDC. The study will undertake a scoping of current fiscal measures for low-carbon development and technology deployment in the energy and housing and public utilities (HPU) sectors and will provide detailed assessments of selected fiscal reform options regarding the potential to raise and save public revenues. This will include how these revenues can be used to support investments needed to deliver the LCDC and Kazakhstan’s NDCs, and identify options to mitigate impacts from fiscal reform options.  

Work began in November 2020, gathering data and initiating stakeholder consultations.  In December, PAGE experts held three stakeholder consultations on energy and HPU tariff regulation, subsidies and market-based development potential with representatives of the Energy, Industry, Ecology and Economy Ministries and the National Fund Samruk-Kazyna.     

The country’s Environmental Code from 2007 introduced significant changes in environmental regulation, and also outlined steps for a more integrated, cross-sectoral regulatory framework. However, since its adoption, it’s been amended 63 times — highlighting that a more systematic update was needed to fully address the country’s strategic goals.

Kazakhstan has thus worked throughout 2020 on a revised Environmental Code (now EcoCode), which was adopted and signed into law on 2 January 2021. The new EcoCode envisages a rapid reform of the main environmental regulatory framework to open broad opportunities for green growth in the country. 

The EcoCode outlines the use of environmental quality standards and environmental assessments (SEA/EIA) in line with international standards; environmental earmarking of emission payments; introducing integrated environmental permits based on best available techniques (BAT); an automated monitoring system; waste management in line with EU directives; and the inclusion of a legal framework for climate change adaptation.

PAGE provided technical support during the process of revision and in parallel, work is underway to assist with the implementation of its new elements.

PAGE contributed to the development of a policy vision for the waste sector, with a narrative report completed in March 2020. To include a range of inputs on needs, priorities and concerns, consultations were held with a variety of stakeholders. A further stakeholder discussion on the waste sector was co-organized by PAGE, with representatives from MEGNR, NGO’s, associations, SMEs and independent experts from the sector, during the national conference on “Plastic waste pollution: solutions and cooperation”  and the results of the discussion were presented during a workshop held for the development of the LCDC.  

The development of a sustainable waste sector is a priority of the Green Economy Concept and new EcoCode, but each requires a general vision and action plan to achieve national indicators. Currently, waste-flows are handled in a fragmented manner and to this end, MEGNR initiated work in 2020 on the ‘National Programme on Waste Management until 2030’ to create a clear vision for the waste sector with a tangible action plan. 

Supporting this work, PAGE in August 2020 engaged the Vice-Minister of MEGNR, representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture, Industry and Energy, of Akimats (local governments) and representatives of professional waste associations and submitted a full concept of the programme for MEGNR in December and in parallel, experts began developing the first chapters of the Waste Programme.

In 2020, PAGE launched an analysis of integrating Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) and sustainability criteria in Kazakhstan’s public procurement processes, with the analysis to be completed by the end of March 2021. 

In December 2020, UNEP, under the PAGE and the UN Development Account (UNDA) project “Enhancing sustainable public procurement for the regional transition to inclusive green economy in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia”, held an introductory online workshop on SPP with the support of the Kazakhstan Association of Regional Environmental Initiatives “ECOJER”. It covered the current state of public procurement in Kazakhstan, the assessment in development, UNDA Project and PAGE SPP activities, as well as examples and lessons learned from other UNDP project countries, such as Kyrgyzstan and Georgia. 

MEGNR and PAGE initiated a pilot project focused on the use of an emissions payment fund for subsidizing green business in SMEs as well as the production of guidelines on the efficient use of the payments — aiming to promote green business and green employment by increasing emissions payments for reducing negative environmental impacts; creating favourable conditions for “green” projects by SMEs; and providing financial assistance and incentives. The Pavlodar region is supporting the pilot initiative, which kicked-off in May 2020. 

PAGE developed a concept for a ‘Building Back Better training’ for civil servants in Kazakhstan in collaboration with GIZ, which aims to equip public bodies with the knowledge and skills to pursue low-carbon, green and transformative recovery, including best practices and tested solutions from peer countries. This training is designed to support the country in its recovery efforts, using strategies to simultaneously address systemic vulnerabilities and ‘build back better’ to a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive economy. The training will involve three tiers, targeting general level civil servants, managerial directors and higher-level vice ministers.