Green economy - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan and China Move to Green Cooperation

Kazakhstan’s International Center for Green Technologies and Investment Projects and the China-SCO Technology Transfer Center have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop joint projects in green technologies. The signing occurred at the Kazakhstan-China trade and economic cooperation forum, "Golden Bridge to Green Cooperation," held in Beijing last week. The forum discussed the Green Silk Road initiative, a key element of China's Belt and Road Initiative that aims to promote sustainable development and support global efforts for green transformation. Speaking at the forum, Kazakhstan's Minister of Trade and Integration, Arman Shakkaliyev, emphasized the importance of the Green Silk Road initiative for the sustainable development of Kazakhstan, China, and the global community. "The transition to carbon neutrality requires a comprehensive approach. green investments, greening trade corridors, and working towards a carbon-neutral economy are key aspects of our strategy," Shakkaliyev said. He also noted Kazakhstan and China's ambitious plans to expand economic cooperation and achieve a bilateral trade turnover of $80 billion, with a focus on investments in agriculture, new energy, automotive manufacturing, and the production of high-value-added products. According to Shakkaliyev, in 2023, China invested about $2 billion in Kazakhstan, 16.4% more than in 2022, and the total volume of Chinese investments in the Kazakh economy has now exceeded $25 billion. He also emphasized the potential of switching to electric vehicles and using green technologies in cargo transportation to improve environmental performance and increase the efficiency of trade corridors.

International Relations Energy Japan Green economy Green Energy International Cooperation Economic Cooperation

Kyrgyzstan and Japan Agree to Cooperate in Green Energy

In Japan on September 9, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Energy, Taalaibek Ibrayev, met with Ken Saito, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, who oversees the country's energy policy. The two ministries signed a memorandum of cooperation to implement joint projects in green energy. The aim of the new partnership is to expand energy cooperation between Japan and Kyrgyzstan, and developing sectors such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, hydrogen energy, ammonia, carbon recycling, and high-efficiency electricity generation. While visiting Japan last November, Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Cooperation in the energy sector was one of the issues that they discussed. During the visit, Japarov invited Japanese companies to use the opportunities and potential for cooperation with Kyrgyzstan to develop renewable energy sources and construct hydropower plants.

Green economy World Bank aid

World Bank Awards Uzbekistan $7.5 Million in Carbon Credits for Emissions Reduction

On 21 June, it was announced that the Uzbekistan is the first country in the world to receive payment from the World Bank for reducing carbon emissions through a policy crediting program. The pioneering project known as the Innovative Carbon Resource Application for Energy Transition (iCRAFT) was designed to support Uzbekistan in implementing energy efficiency measures, phasing out energy subsidies, and transitioning to cleaner energy sources. Under the iCraft project, the World Bank awarded Uzbekistan a $7.5 million grant for cutting 500,000 tons of carbon emissions. Congratulating the country on this significant achievement, Marco Mantovanelli, the World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan, said: “This initiative is the world’s first to leverage climate finance in support of policy reform. The iCRAFT project aims to transition from individual transactions to program-level carbon trade interventions. We are eager to see how this pilot can set a precedent for reforms in other sectors in Uzbekistan and for other countries to follow its example.” Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, highlighted the significance of this climate finance transaction: “The first payment transferred under the iCRAFT Project marks a key step for Uzbekistan towards reducing energy subsidies and achieving cost recovery in the energy sector. It also contributes to the government’s broader efforts for a green economy to foster economic growth and reduce poverty.” The payment is the first of several anticipated payments under the Emissions Reduction Payment Agreement (ERPA) concluded between the government of Uzbekistan and the World Bank as part of the iCRAFT Project. Under the agreement, Uzbekistan could receive up to $20 million in grants for verified emission reductions or carbon credits generated through its energy subsidy reforms. Uzbekistan aims to reduce 60 million tons of CO2, with iCRAFT set to purchase approximately 2.5 million tons of CO2. Using systems and processes established by iCraft, the country can sell the remaining carbon credits on international carbon markets.

Green economy

Central Asia’s Mineral Wealth Can Help the West Unlock a Greener Future

Critical minerals are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing energy technologies. From lithium in electric vehicle batteries, to copper used in wind turbines and electricity networks, these minerals are at the heart of the green transition. The demand for these minerals will increase as clean-energy technologies continue to develop and become even more widely adopted. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts a significant uptick in mineral requirements for clean energy technologies. According to its Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS), the world’s total mineral demand could quadruple by 2040. Electric vehicles and battery storage are expected to account for about half of this growth over the next two decades. A few major producers dominate the global market Problematically, the global market for critical minerals is dominated by just a few key players. China controls a significant portion of overall worldwide production, not to mention 85% of the processing capacity needed to refine these minerals for manufacturing purposes. China’s dominance extends to lithium, graphite, rare earth elements and cobalt, which are all essential for clean energy technologies. Russia also holds considerable weight in the resource-extraction sector. For example, it controls 43% of the palladium market and a quarter of vanadium production. These minerals have wide-ranging applications, with palladium used in catalytic converters and vanadium in batteries. The United States is heavily reliant on mineral imports from China. This dependence poses significant economic and security risks as any supply-chain disruption could have far-reaching impacts. As a result, the U.S. has initiated the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). The PGII is a shared G7 commitment, while the MSP drives co-operation of 13 countries and the European Union (EU). They both aim to catalyse public and private investment in responsible global supply chains of critical minerals. Fortunately, Central Asia is emerging as a key player in the global critical minerals landscape. The region is perhaps best noted for its substantial reserves of uranium, of which it is the world’s largest supplier. Less known is the fact that the region also holds 38.6% of global manganese ore reserves, 30.07% of chromium, 20% of lead, 12.6% of zinc and 8.7% of titanium, as well as significant reserves of other critical materials. Eyes turn to Kazakhstan’s special contribution While all of Central Asia is rich in these minerals, Kazakhstan is increasingly noticed as the stand-out performer. Kazakhstan is perhaps best known as the global leader in uranium production. It has the world’s largest reserves of this metal, and has been the world’s top producer for several years. Uranium is necessary for the global nuclear energy supply chain, and Kazakhstan has implemented advanced recovery techniques, making the extraction process both efficient and environmentally friendly. Kazakhstan also has significant potential in rare earth elements, and is one of the world's largest producers of chromium (used primarily in producing stainless steel and other alloys) with one of the world's largest deposits and significant mining operations in the northwest regions. The country is...

Green economy

Uzbekistan: Successful Reforms in Environmental Protection and Waste Management

Uzbekistan is carrying out consistent and effective reforms in the field of waste management, improving the quality of services provided to the population and combating environmental pollution. The Decree of the President “On measures to improve the waste management system and reduce its negative impact on the environmental situation” is a significant step that will become the starting point for a new stage of development in this area, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov emphasized. “The main goal is to further improve the quality of household waste management services, bringing the level to international standards, increasing the level of waste processing, preventing accumulation in landfills, minimizing the negative impact on the environment, achieving the ‘zero waste’ principle and other tasks. This decree is very important today, when environmental problems associated with climate change are escalating," he stated. According to the decree, a number of measures will be taken to further improve waste management and prevent environmental pollution. In particular, as part of the integrated Safe City system, the detection of environmental violations using cameras will be introduced. Entrepreneurs will be given the right to photograph and video record environmental violations and be able to report this to the state environmental control inspectorate in a manner similar to the right to identify violations of traffic rules. Citizens will have the opportunity to independently install photographic and video recording equipment at the sites of spontaneous landfills at their own expense. Reports of violations will be encouraged with a reward of 20% of any fine levied. From the beginning of 2024, minimum tariffs for waste collection will be regularly reviewed, and services will be combined into a single system. It is expected that there will be a substantial increase in liability for violating the rules on the dumping of waste, with the possibility of confiscation of items and devices used to carry out such violations written into the measures. The document also establishes administrative responsibility for the use of chemical, biological and bacteriological agents during the construction or reconstruction of buildings which leads to damage to the environment. In order to improve sanitary and hygienic conditions for residents, increase the attractiveness of tourist areas and reduce the negative impact on the environment, entrepreneurs will be allowed to install sanitary and hygiene points in public places, social buildings, and specially designated areas. The distribution of permits for the installation of such points will be carried out through electronic auctions. Entrepreneurs who process or dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way will be allocated “green subsidies.”

Foreign Investment Green economy

Uzbekistan Plans to Attract Investment, Green Energy Development

On January 2nd, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a government meeting on attracting investments and developing green energy in 2024, at which it was stated that last year Uzbekistan attracted more than $22 billion in foreign investment, a 1.8-fold increase on the previous year. Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of increasing the volume of foreign investment this year, with upmost attention to be paid to electrical and mechanical engineering, construction materials, pharmaceuticals, and the textile and leather industries. The meeting also discussed the development of green energy, with officials reporting that work is ongoing on 28 projects based on public-private partnerships for the construction of solar, wind, and hybrid power plants with a total capacity of 6.3 gigawatts. Of these, the first, with generating capacities of 2.6 gigawatts, were launched in 2023. Currently, work is underway on the construction of green power plants and energy storage systems together with companies from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, China, France, and Switzerland. In 2024, Uzbekistan plans to increase the total capacity of solar power plants to 2.6 gigawatts, wind farms to 900 megawatts, and launch energy storage devices with a capacity of 400 megawatts. At the meeting, instructions were relayed to study the possibility of introducing, based on international experience, agrovoltaics - the practice of agricultural producers installing solar panels on their fields to produce energy for their own needs or for sale, and for specific proposals to be drawn up for this area.