June 5 at the Government meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev, the implementation of the Concept on the Transition of Kazakhstan to a Green Economy was considered.

Minister of Energy Kanat Bozumbayev presented the main results of the implementation of the Concept on the Transition of the Republic of Kazakhstan to a Green Economy for 2014-2017.

The development of the power industry in terms of its greening is based on the development of renewable energy, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector and supply of the country with gas. According to the minister, in 2017, about 1.1 billion kW/h of green energy was produced. In 2018, it is planned to introduce another 138 MW of renewable energy.

To date, there are 58 enterprises operating in the country using renewable energy sources with a total capacity of 352 MW. As a result of 2018, the total capacity of RES will be about 490 MW (68 facilities).

"In the long term, the decline in the cost of RES is due to the introduction of the auction mechanism. On the one hand, this will make the process of selection of projects and investors transparent and understandable, on the other hand, choose more efficient technologies and projects that will minimize the impact on the tariffs of users through the introduction of renewable energy capacities," said Bozumbayev.

Since May 23, the spring session of the first auction bidding for the selection of construction projects has started. Throughout the year, one GW of renewable energy will be put up. According to Bozumbayev, the first auction showed interest of market participants. During the spring session, about 250 MW will be sold, winners will be drawn and determined. Auction prices at a starting price of 22.68 tenge per wind energy show a decline in value to 17.49 tenge, which is almost 23 percent.

"In the coming days, six winners will already sign 15-year contracts for the purchase of electricity. Now we already can say that we have chosen the right direction for the development of renewable energy," said Bozumbayev.

For reference: In 2015, carbon dioxide emissions in the electricity sector from the 2012 level decreased by 9.3 percent. The amendments to the legislation introduced in 2016 on the implementation of the National Greenhouse Gas Emission Distribution Plan based on specific factors will allow to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2030.

The share of gas power stations in the generation of electricity at the end of 2017 was 20.2 percent, with the planned target 20 percent by 2020. In order to ensure the growth of gas-fired power plants, the construction of gas turbine power stations along the Beineu – Bozoy – Shymkent gas pipeline is under consideration. The ministry is also working with Samruk-Kazyna to switch Almaty CHP-2 to gas.

In addition, in order to develop hydropower, issues of the construction of counter-regulators of Shulbinskaya HPP on the Irtysh River are being studied.

Reporting on the implementation of the Five Social Initiatives of the President, Kanat Bozumbayev noted that the first stage of the construction of the Saryarka Main Gas Pipeline along the route Kyzylorda – Zhezkazgan – Karaganda – Astana with the length of 1081 km is being worked out. This section of the gas pipeline will provide natural gas to the thermal power station of the city of Astana, two regions and 171 settlements.

In order to reduce the emission of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, measures were taken to denitrate and desulphurize exhaust gases and dust. This year, jointly with the energy producing organizations, a plan is being developed for a long-term phased implementation of measures to reduce emissions at TPPs. In accordance with the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union, from the second half of this year, the requirements for the quality of the fuel to be sold will be raised from the level of K-2 to K-4 and K-5, which will lead to a significant reduction in air emissions from motor vehicles.

In the field of waste management, a regulatory legal framework has been established to define requirements for secondary raw materials, separate collection, processing and disposal of waste.

For reference: In 2018, the share of processing industrial waste will be brought up to 32 percent,solid waste — up to 11 percent. Sixty-nine percent of the country's population is provided with waste collection and disposal services. The plan for 2018 is to bring this figure to 75 percent. The share of polygons corresponding to environmental requirements and sanitary standards is 16 percent (plan for 2018 is 23 percent).

To improve the effectiveness of the system of solid waste management in the cities of Astana and Almaty, projects are being implemented.

For reference: A pilot project has been launched in Astana to introduce separate collection of solid waste, processing and utilization of organic (food) waste. A consortium of legal entities under the PPP mechanism started the project "Implementation of an Integrated Solid Waste Management System in the City of Almaty," which provides for the construction of a waste sorting complex in Alatau District of Almaty with a capacity of up to 1500 tons per day. The construction completion date is approximately the second half of 2018. The project cost is 5.5 billion tenge.

Kanat Bozumbayev also reported that in order to reform the environmental legislation commissioned by the Head of State in the Address "New Opportunities Under the Fourth Industrial Revolution," the draft of the new Environmental Code stipulates the conditions under which it is economically beneficial for the nature user to invest in the environment, reduce emissions of pollutants , invest in environmental protection measures.

The draft Concept is developed and sent to the corresponding state bodies and organizations for approval.

At the same time, in order to develop the green economy, the presentation and opening of the International Center for Green Technologies and Investment Projects took place May 17 at the XI Astana Economic Forum, with the participation of the chairman of the Global Green Growth Institute, Ban Ki-moon, Nobel Prize winner Rae Kwon Chung. The Center's activities will be aimed at supporting and implementing investment projects with the search for potential investors, technical analysis of projects and the possibility of transferring the best green technologies in the Central Asian region.

"I would like to note that the achieved results of the work on the green economy in the country show the systematic work of central state and local executive bodies. In the future, the existing legislative framework and intensified efforts will achieve the planned target indicators," Bozumbayev concluded.

Vice Minister of Agriculture Yerlan Nyssanbayev reported on sustainable use of water resources, high-performance agriculture and preservation of ecosystems.

Thus, according to the vice minister, in compliance with the Concept to a Green Economy, integrated management of natural ecosystems is carried out in the field of forestry, fisheries and wildlife.

Kazakhstan is a sparsely forested country. Only 4.7% of the territory is covered with forests.

"Increasing green plantations today is one of the main tasks of the ministry. In this regard, together with the akimats of the regions, in accordance with the approved plans, work has begun to create green zones around the regional centers," Nyssanbayev noted.

For reference: Over the past 7 years, the volume of reproduction of forests on the territory of the state forest fund amounted to 453 thousand hectares. This year, the planned volume is 68 thousand hectares. Every year, the All-Kazakhstan Forest Planting Day action is held. This year more than 900 thousand people took part in it, more than 4.5 million trees and bushes were planted.

"Separately, I want to note the creation of a green zone around the city of Astana, carried out in accordance with the instructions of the Head of State, the area of ​​which was 78 thousand hectares, by 2023 it is planned to increase its area to 100 thousand hectares," the vice minister said.

At the end of the speech, Nyssanbayev noted that the most effective conservation tool for biodiversity are specially protected natural areas. Since 1991, the area of the protected areas has increased from 1 million hectares to 24 million hectares.

Saltanat Rakhimbekova, head of the Coalition for Green Economy and Development of G-Global, spoke about the work of public organizations on the transition of Kazakhstan to a green economy. In 2017, the organization together with its partners implemented 25 projects, which were demonstrated at the Expo-2017 exhibition.

Berdibek Saparbayev, akim of the region, reported on the ongoing work on the transition to the green economy in the Aktobe region, as well as on the implementation of renewable energy facilities.

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