BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a8445ba7a490 DTSTART:20250430T043000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20250430T123000Z LOCATION:Astana\, Kazakhstan SUMMARY:Second national consultation on integrated policy strategies for a sustainable future of Kazakhstan CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:Given pressing multifaceted challenges of climate change and de velopment\, it is more imperative than ever for developing countries to ad opt innovative and integrated policy strategies to pursue resilient\, gree n\, and transformative development. To contribute to the debate on how to address these multifaceted challenges from the perspective of developing c ountries\, United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has developed a p roject that aims to assist four major developing countries in Asia – Kaz akhstan\, Malaysia\, Pakistan and Türkiye - in their efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to green transformative devel opment. In particular\, the project is designed to assist the participatin g countries in achieving the 2030 Agenda through 1) effective integrated p olicy strategies and improved capacity at national level\, including South -South peer-learning\; and 2) economic cooperation and policy coordination at the regional level.As an upper-middle income land-locked country rich in natural resources that continue to provide its most important source of income\, Kazakhstan remains vulnerable to complex climate change challeng es in the form of extreme weather events and natural disasters\, such as d roughts\, irregular rainfall and floods\, abnormal summer heat and extreme winter cold\, in addition to long-standing water shortages. Adapting to c limate change through green industrialisation is therefore of crucial impo rtance to addressing the twin challenges of much needed structural transfo rmation and diversification as well as effective disaster risk reduction.K azakhstan recognised these challenges early on\, beginning with the 2007 E nvironamental Code and with the Concept for Transition of the Republic of Kazakhstan to a Green Economy (Akorda\, 2013). In the decade since\, Akord a has been further developed\, with many provisions and parameters being c larified\, specified and expanded (Akorda 2021)\, not least following Kaza khstan’s ratification of the ParisAgreement in 2016. The country’s Env ironmental Code also was updated in 2021\, and key recent planning documen ts for climate change adaptation include the Doctrine of Kazakhstan on ach ieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060 through a strong commitment to increase r enewable energy capacities and enhancing energy efficiency as well as the updated Nationally Determined Contribution for 2021-2030.Purpose and key o bjectivesUnder this project\, UNCTAD in close cooperation with its local p artner\, the Project Office of Central Asia for Climate Change and Green E nergy/Central Asia Climate Fund (CACF)\, held a first national consultatio n in October 2023 to identify and discuss binding constraints and core cha llenges for the effective implementation of Kazakhstan’s green structura l transformation agenda with local stakeholders in government\, the privat e sectors and civil society. The meeting furthermore highlighted the impor tance of regional cooperation and policy synergies to further support nati onal policy strategies for green transformation.This second high-level con sultation comes at an opportune moment for Kazakhstan that will host the 2 026 Regional Climate Summit in Central Asia under UN auspices. Building on key insights gained at the first national consultation\, UNCTAD and its l ocal partner have joined efforts to produce a proposal for integrated nati onal policy strategies to further and effectively promote green transforma tion and industrialisation in Kazakhstan\, for discussion by meeting parti cipants. In addition\, UNCTAD will present main findings of a modeling exe rcise to consider the medium- and long-term impacts of climate change and government policies on growth performance\, labor market dynamics and inco me distribution in Kazakhstan. Finally\, there will be an opportunity to f urther develop earlier discussions on the role and potential of regional s ynerggies and partnerships for assisting national efforts in promoting gre en transformation.<\;p>\;Given pressing multifaceted challenges of cli mate change and development\, it is more imperative than ever for developi ng countries to adopt innovative and integrated policy strategies to pursu e resilient\, green\, and transformative development. To contribute to the debate on how to address these multifaceted challenges from the perspecti ve of developing countries\, United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has developed a project that aims to assist four major developing countri es in Asia – Kazakhstan\, Malaysia\, Pakistan and Türkiye - in their ef forts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to green tr ansformative development. In particular\, the project is designed to assis t the participating countries in achieving the 2030 Agenda through 1) effe ctive integrated policy strategies and improved capacity at national level \, including South-South peer-learning\; and 2) economic cooperation and p olicy coordination at the regional level.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;As an uppe r-middle income land-locked country rich in natural resources that continu e to provide its most important source of income\, Kazakhstan remains vuln erable to complex climate change challenges in the form of extreme weather events and natural disasters\, such as droughts\, irregular rainfall and floods\, abnormal summer heat and extreme winter cold\, in addition to lon g-standing water shortages. Adapting to climate change through green indus trialisation is therefore of crucial importance to addressing the twin cha llenges of much needed structural transformation and diversification as we ll as effective disaster risk reduction.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Kazakhstan recognised these challenges early on\, beginning with the 2007 Environamen tal Code and with the Concept for Transition of the Republic of Kazakhstan to a Green Economy (Akorda\, 2013). In the decade since\, Akorda has been further developed\, with many provisions and parameters being clarified\, specified and expanded (Akorda 2021)\, not least following Kazakhstan’s ratification of the Paris<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Agreement in 2016. The co untry’s Environmental Code also was updated in 2021\, and key recent pla nning documents for climate change adaptation include the Doctrine of Kaza khstan on achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060 through a strong commitment to increase renewable energy capacities and enhancing energy efficiency as well as the updated Nationally Determined Contribution for 2021-2030.<\ ;/p>\;<\;h4>\;Purpose and key objectives<\;/h4>\;<\;p>\;Unde r this project\, UNCTAD in close cooperation with its local partner\, the Project Office of Central Asia for Climate Change and Green Energy/Central Asia Climate Fund (CACF)\, held a first national consultation in October 2023 to identify and discuss binding constraints and core challenges for t he effective implementation of Kazakhstan’s green structural transformat ion agenda with local stakeholders in government\, the private sectors and civil society. The meeting furthermore highlighted the importance of regi onal cooperation and policy synergies to further support national policy s trategies for green transformation.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;This second high -level consultation comes at an opportune moment for Kazakhstan that will host the 2026 Regional Climate Summit in Central Asia under UN auspices. B uilding on key insights gained at the first national consultation\, UNCTAD and its local partner have joined efforts to produce a proposal for integ rated national policy strategies to further and effectively promote green transformation and industrialisation in Kazakhstan\, for discussion by mee ting participants. In addition\, UNCTAD will present main findings of a mo deling exercise to consider the medium- and long-term impacts of climate c hange and government policies on growth performance\, labor market dynamic s and income distribution in Kazakhstan. Finally\, there will be an opport unity to further develop earlier discussions on the role and potential of regional synerggies and partnerships for assisting national efforts in pro moting green transformation.<\;/p>\;\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nht tps://unctad.org/meeting/second-national-consultation-integrated-policy-st rategies-sustainable-future-kazakhstan DTSTAMP:20260818T114458Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR