Middle Asia - Kazakhstan cooperation towards carbon neutrality and business opportunities

In December 2020 President of Kazakhstan Mr. Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan
would become carbon neutral country by 2060. This is a very ambitious aim given that considerable
amount of energy in Kazakhstan is generated using coal power plants. The main challenges that are
faced by Kazakhstan are high dependence on coal for electricity and heat generation, lack of funds to
invest in renewable energy resources, transport, inefficiency of the government spending on
mitigation activities, high emissions in cropland.

Kazakhstan will have to find money to cut off coal use and transit to carbon neutral technologies to
produce energy in an efficient way with minimal damage to economy. The speakers investigate how
to reach carbon neutrality in the most efficient and cost-effective way and tried to develop
Kazakhstan’s carbon neutrality path using both short and long term vision.

Topic: “Middle Asia – Kazakhstan cooperation towards carbon neutrality and business opportunities”
Venue: Blue zone, CAREC pavilion

1. “Elements of Regional and International Cooperation for a Net-Zero Vision of
Kazakhstan”, Rocco de Miglio, senior expert in energy system analysis, lead architect
of the Central Asia- Caspian energy system model

2. “Land Use and Forestry: Is Global Carbon Sink Real in Kazakhstan?”, Dauren
Zhumabayev, consultant at Climate Change Coordination Center

3. “Electricity, Heat and Transport Decarbonization Issues in Kazakhstan”, Aidyn
Bakdolotov, Director of the Department of Modeling, Analysis and Forecasting,
Zhasyl Damu, JSC

4. “An Investment in Knowledge Pays the Best Interest – How to Finance Path to Net
Zero” Vladimir Litvak, Head of Climate Finance and Carbon Markets, VTB Capital

5. “Kazakhstan and Central Asia: International Business Response to the Global
Methane Challenge”, Dan Byers, Vice President, Climate and Technology, U.S.
Chamber of Commerce

Format: 10 minutes for each speaker 3 minutes for Q&A

The session will be followed by a discussion in the round table format: “Carbon neutrality?
How far from Reality?”

Organized by: Climate Change Coordination Center, Nazarbayev University, “National
Conservation Initiative” Corporate Fund, U. S. Chamber of Commerce