Climate Change in Kazakhstan: State Policy and Public Awareness
Kazakhstan is one of the countries most exposed to climate change risks. The government of Kazakhstan pays utmost attention to climate change and country’s main climate policies are directed by the National Concept on Transition to “Green Economy”, the Environmental Code, and the National Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060. Kazakhstan strongly supports global and regional climate initiatives and was the first country in Central Asia to ratify the Paris Agreement.
The development of renewable energy sources (RES) is one of the key priorities for Kazakhstan and the country has achieved significant progress. The growth of numbers of solar and wind power plants increased the shares of RES in total electricity production in Kazakhstan. It is worth to mention that the share of solar power plants increased from 0.1% in 2014 to 1.7% in 2022, while the share of wind power plants surged from 0.014% to 2% for the same period. Moreover, in 2023, the number of “green” jobs increased by 74% compared to the indicator of 2020.
However, there are important issues that impede the development of the green economy in Kazakhstan. The low levels of climate investments and a limited number of research projects on the green economy are creating obstacles to the successful implementation of climate policies in the country.
Public awareness of climate change
Kazakhstan’s climate policy recognizes the crucial role of public awareness and society’s involvement in the achievement of intended climate related goals. The government has adopted climate regulation to develop and support education and enlightenment and ensure public access to environmental information. However, despite those adopted strategic documents and many other relevant initiatives the participation of the population and its readiness for the change remains uncertain. Without active public support and participation, all efforts may have a limited impact.
Results of several surveys in Kazakhstan show various findings regarding public awareness of climate change and government policies. In general, the majority of respondents are aware of the climate change problem but not familiar with the measures and policies that the government is undertaking. The reasons for such situation vary from lack of climate education measures to existing significant research gap that would contribute to climate awareness in Kazakhstan.
Dr. Khitakhunov conducted an online survey with key objective to identify the current level of awareness among residents of Almaty city regarding climate change and public readiness to take measures to mitigate adverse effects of changing climate on the environment. A structured questionnaire, divided into four main sections each addressing specific themes, was developed by the author. The targeted sample size was approximately 384 individuals, but the survey collected 507 responses. For the final analysis the answers from 461 respondents were considered.
Almost 84% of respondents regard climate change as a significant issue. According to the respondents – greenhouse gas emissions, industrial activities and improper use of natural resources are the key factors of climate change. Respondents consider flooding (33.4%) and air pollution (32.8%) as the most pressing climate issues in the region.
The respondents perceive the involvement of society, business, and government in addressing climate issues as insufficient. However, 71% of them believe that the scientific community is taking certain part in addressing climate change issues. Moreover, the most trusted source of information for 41% of respondents is scientific research publications.
The majority of respondents (57.3%) believe that the government of Kazakhstan is making efforts to combat climate change. However, about 47.3% have never heard of the National Strategy on achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, and around 38% of respondents are unaware of the Paris Agreement, indicating a lack of awareness about key national and international climate initiatives.
Almost 58% of respondents are ready to alter their consumer habits but rather with some caution, and 53% of them believe that each person can contribute to combating climate change. Importantly, 53.4% of respondents expressed a willingness to pay additional taxes or fees to reduce environmental damage, provided the funds will be used effectively, while only 10.6% were ready to pay taxes and fees unconditionally.
The primary actions that respondents consider important for reducing their carbon footprint are reducing the use of plastic products and packaging. The most feasible measure that respondents expect from businesses is to implement a circular production cycle with material reuse for reduction of waste. It is important to mention that nearly all respondents view education and information dissemination as important measures.
For the successful implementation of climate policies, the relevant government agencies in Kazakhstan should attract and increase climate investments and support the development of green technologies. Raising public awareness of climate change and well-designed national policies are crucial. Hence, it is important to develop a effective communication policy between the government and society on climate issues. Expanding access to environmental education is also vital. The government needs to promote climate scholars and expertise to improve the public understanding on issues related to climate change, its threats, and country’s climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. For the government of Kazakhstan, it is recommended to start with specific projects such as the reduction of plastic use. In the future, these measures can be extended to broader measures like activating nature-based solutions through forest preservation and planting new trees.
Raising public awareness can play transformative role in Kazakhstan as better-informed population demands better policies, which, in turn, will propel the government in improving its efficiency in pursuing climate related work.