This policy provides for the Strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 and has the following objectives: </div><ul><li>Define goals and specific targets for the transition to climate neutrality by 2060;</li><li>Develop national priorities for GHG emissions reduction and increase carbon sequestration;</li><li>Identify key areas of technological development and specify infrastructure solutions needed to complete the transition to climate neutrality;</li><li>Describe key climate change mitigation policies to be developed and implemented in order to fulfil the objectives of this Strategy;</li><li>Assess investment and other financing needs to achieve climate goals;</li><li>Assess labour market implications of the transition;</li><li>Involve various stakeholders in the processes; and</li><li>Consider risks and impacts of climate change.</li></ul><div>

The Concept for Sustainable Development (Concept) is a comprehensive guide to planning national development over a period of nearly two decades. The Concept was developed within the framework of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002) by the Ministry of Environment with support from UNDP, UNEP-EU, as well as scientists and experts. A 2013 version was subsequently released. &nbsp; &nbsp;This policy calls for the increase of the environmental sustainable index up to 10% by 2012, 15% by 2018, and 25% by 2024. &nbsp; &nbsp;The Concept lays out the four stages of development:</div><ul><li>Preparation stage (2007-2009) is to establish the institutional readiness to integrate sustainable development principles into all aspects of political and economics spheres</li><li>In the first stage (2010-2012) the country aims to become one of the fifty most competitive countries in the world economy</li><li>During the second stage (2013-2018) the focus is on quality of life for citizens, decrease in environmental degradation, and increase of environmental sustainability</li><li>The third stage (2019-2024) Kazakhstan will achieve international standards of sustainable development</li></ul><div>&nbsp; &nbsp;The general goal of the Concept is 'to achieve an economic, social, environmental, and political balance of the development of the Republic of Kazakhstan as a base for improvement of quality of life and provision for the competitiveness of the country in the long-term period.' &nbsp; &nbsp;The decree lays out eight principles for Kazakhstan's sustainable development broadly related to improving the economic and social development indicators of the country. The principles are followed by 16 priorities, a number of which are related directly or indirectly to climate change mitigation or adaption. Those priorities are:</div><ul><li>Introduction of sustainable models of production and consumption</li><li>Introduction of innovative environmentally safe technologies</li><li>Development of sustainable transport systems</li><li>Energy efficiency and energy saving</li><li>Development of science and education for sustainable development</li><li>Prevention and alleviation of environmental threats to the human health</li><li>Decrease of emissions, including GHG and ODS</li><li>Access to quality drinking water</li><li>Solutions to trans-boundary environmental problems</li><li>Waste management</li></ul><div>&nbsp; &nbsp;The section on environmental sustainability highlights the need to follow a development path that decreases the anthropogenic impact on climate change. The plan stipulates that the country should use national and local budgets in addition to international loans and grants to achieve its sustainable development goals; the adoption and enforcement of 'polluter pays' policies meant to penalise those entities that contaminate the environment (including excessive CO2emissions), the introduction of trading emissions quota system (the ETS, now in its first year of operation).

This executive decree makes the development of wind energy a national priority, calling for the evaluation of potential wind energy generation and the implementation of the Wind Power Market Development Initiate, to take place from 2004 until 2007. The project will be carried out by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in coordination with the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning and the UN Development Program.

The Environmental Code of Kazakhstan governs human and nature interactions. Article 3 sets out goals and objectives of the legislation, including "ensuring that the Republic of Kazakhstan contributes to strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change in the context of sustainable development".The main provisions relating to climate change are found in Part 18 Chapter 20 on the state regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and removals.Article 283 on "the contributions of Kazakhstan to the global climate change response" requires an authorised environmental protection body to develop Nationally Determined Contributions as required by the Paris Agreement and requires that “State bodies and officials of the Republic of Kazakhstan are obliged, within their remit, to take actions to ensure the implementation of the nationally determined contributions of the Republic of Kazakhstan”. Under this Article, the current emission reduction targets for Kazakhstan are set at at least 15 percent compared to the 1990 carbon balance by 31 December 2030.Article 286 establishes a national carbon budget which then governs the allocation of emissions allowances under an emissions trading system.

The purpose of the law (full name: 'On introducing amendments and addenda to some legislative acts of Kazakhstan on the transition to green economy") is to improve legislation related to ecology and renewable energy. &nbsp;Changes are made to the Land, Water, Environment, Tax, and Enterprise Codes to introduce or strengthen sustainable practices (e.g. updated environmental and natural resources protections, extended producer responsibility, improved standards for water consumption, sustainable waste management). &nbsp;In direct relation to climate change, the law supplements the law '<a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/law/law-about-support-of-use-of-renewable-sources-of-energy-no-165-4/">on supporting the use of renewable energy sources</a>' with amendments further supporting renewable electricity, creation of a renewable energy reserve fund, and improvement of the mechanisms for connecting renewable sources to national electric grid. Full text (Kazakh) can be found <a href="https://egemen.kz/2016/04/30/37534">here</a>

This law establishes the legal framework to regulate markets as they relate to the consumption of energy. It explains that the government has the authority to regulate markets according to the principles of energy saving and energy efficiency. Such principles shall be disseminated to the public through national mass media. It authorises and requires local and regional executive authorities to develop and approve of energy saving programmes as well as scientific research into energy efficiency. Funds to finance such programmes and research are to be allocated accordingly by the national budget. 
 
The government is granted the authority to establish energy efficiency minimums for mechanical equipment, buildings and additional fuel-consuming structures. 
 
Lastly it recognises the legal legitimacy of any international treaties signed by Kazakhstan, so that if those treaties should establish rules or regulations, they shall supersede any conflicting national legislation.

This piece of legislation aims to eliminate previous legal and financial barriers to the development of renewable energy projects, thus facilitating new projects and access to regional energy grids, as well as regulating energy pricing to ensure that energy from renewable sources is cost-comparable to fossil fuels. 
 
The law was a necessary step in order to realise the reduction in GHG emissions, increasing the share of renewable energy (defined as solar, wind hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy) consumed relative to fossil fuels. The law does not, however, specify a percentage share of renewable energy. 
 
The text lays the legal framework to develop national and regional programmes to exploit renewable energy, establish norms associated with renewable energy production, and issue permits for new projects and plants. This regulatory authority will rest in a government-authorised body (of the executive branch) in charge of all renewable energy programmes. 
 
At the regional and local levels, the Authority both authorises local executive authorities to participate in the planning and approval of local and regional projects to develop renewable energy up to 25MW and obliges them to reserve and allocate local lands to said projects, within the framework of the law. 
 
Renewable energy prices are set by the provider but must not exceed the estimated price stated in the feasibility study submitted to and approved by the appropriate governing body. Those companies operating regional power grids are legally obliged to buy all renewable energy produced by plants connected to the grid up to 50% of their total energy purchases. Should renewable energy exceed 50% of energy purchased by companies operating regional energy grids, the national grid shall purchase the surplus in its entirety. Additional incentives to develop renewable energy projects include prioritising the connection of renewable energy plants to energy grids and the use of renewable energy once those plants have access to the grids, and the exclusion of 'service payments' associated with the sale and purchase of traditionally produced energy. 
 
This law codifies the requirement that by 2024 5% of Kazakhstan's total energy consumption must come from renewable sources.

The Ecological Code is a general law that addresses a variety of environmental and climate issues. It codifies ecological definitions of terms into law, establishes the authority of the government to regulate different aspects of the natural environment, stipulates various institutional relations between governmental departments, and lays the groundwork for environmental impact studies among many other regulatory provisions. It includes provisions related to climate change and an amendment passed in 2011 allows Kazakhstan to operate a national carbon trading scheme. 
 
It states that the state shall prioritise prevention and mitigation of climate change and regulate according to principles that limit the amount of GHGs released into the atmosphere. The law authorises a governmental body to monitor climate change and ozone layer and further charges that body with using scientific information to develop measures at the national level specific to various economic sectors to reduce the discharge of GHGs into the atmosphere. 
 
The law also outlines the regulatory authority of the state of Kazakhstan to issue limits (quotas) on the emissions of GHGs and ozone-destroying gases. The regulatory authority lies with a government body to be specified by the state, which will determine maximum quotas, and issue permits for the import of substances harmful to the ozone. The details of the carbon trading scheme were not included in the amendment but issued in a series of executive decrees.

Kazakhstan First NDC (Updated Submission), Nationally Determined Contribution from Kazakhstan in 2023

Kazakhstan. 2022 National Inventory Report (NIR), National Inventory Report from Kazakhstan in 2022

Kazakhstan. 2021 National Inventory Report (NIR), National Inventory Report from Kazakhstan in 2021

Kazakhstan. Biennial report (BR). BR 4, Biennial Report from Kazakhstan in 2021

Kazakhstan. Biennial Reports (BR). BR 3. National Communication (NC). NC 7., National Communication,Biennial Report from Kazakhstan in 2017

The Ecological Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, No. 212 of 2007and Amendment to said legislation on 3 December 2011 (On Carbon Pricing)

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