Green Transport - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakh President Proposes Solutions to Climate Threats at Abu Dhabi Summit

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participated in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week summit, where global leaders and experts convened to address pressing challenges in sustainable development. In his address, Tokayev highlighted the urgent threats posed by climate change, desertification, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity - issues exacerbated by geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global supply chains. Kazakhstan’s Strategy for Sustainability Tokayev presented Kazakhstan’s roadmap for tackling these challenges, focusing on digitalization, major infrastructure projects, and nuclear energy. Noting that global energy systems account for 75% of greenhouse gas emissions, he underscored Kazakhstan’s commitment to green energy development. The country is collaborating with international partners, including Masdar, Total, and Eni, to implement projects to generate 43 GW of renewable energy. Additionally, Tokayev highlighted the strategic importance of constructing Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant, an initiative supported through a national referendum. Regional Connectivity and Transport Infrastructure Addressing the role of transportation in sustainable development, Tokayev emphasized Kazakhstan’s position as a key transit hub in Eurasia. He called for further development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor to enhance regional connectivity and strengthen global supply chains. Sustainable transport infrastructure, he argued, is essential for driving economic growth across the region. Climate and Food Security in Central Asia Tokayev devoted significant attention to the challenges facing Central Asia, particularly the impact of global warming on ecosystems and agriculture. He proposed the introduction of water-saving technologies, the modernization of irrigation systems, and the application of artificial intelligence to better manage water resources. On food security, Tokayev outlined Kazakhstan’s plan to advance sustainable agricultural practices and technologies, aiming to mitigate climate risks while ensuring reliable food supplies. A Global Paradigm Shift Tokayev called on the international community to adopt a new development paradigm based on green finance, the transfer of climate-friendly technologies, and the integration of artificial intelligence with environmental priorities. He emphasized that aligning these strategies could significantly boost global GDP by 2030 while addressing environmental challenges. Summit Collaboration and Hope for the Future The Kazakh President concluded his speech by expressing optimism that the summit could serve as a turning point in harmonizing global priorities for sustainable development. The event featured participation from other prominent leaders, including Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Razan Al Mubarak. Together, the dignitaries reinforced the need for global cooperation in confronting environmental and economic challenges.

Russia Construction Japan Infrastructure Development Green Transport

Ashgabat May Have a Metro System by 2035

Vladimir Petruk, managing director of Interbudmontazh Company, told the CIET-2024 international conference that a metro system may be built in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat by 2035. Petruk said that specialists from the Japanese company Sumitomo, the Japanese Subway Association, and the German consulting group K2 have studied Ashgabat's geological and seismic conditions. The study's results confirmed the possibility of building the subway using reinforced concrete structures. The Ashgabat metro plan calls for an environmentally friendly transportation solution. In the future, it could connect the capital with the “smart city” Arkadag and the settlements of Geokdepe and Anau. According to forecasts, construction could be completed by 2035. “Given the growing wealth and the increasing number of cars, the metro will become essential to solve the city's transportation problems,” Petruk emphasized, noting the successful experience of operating metros in seismically active regions. Consultations with the Ministry of Construction and Architecture of Turkmenistan are ongoing, and the UN mission plans to cooperate with the country to support the urban infrastructure development program. Turkmenistan currently does not have a metro. The idea of building a metro in Ashgabat has been discussed since 2008 when the city mayor's office attracted companies from St. Petersburg to the project. In 2014, then-President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov instructed the Ukrainian construction association Interbudmontazh to consider the possibility of realizing this project. In 2020, the company presented the Ashgabat metro construction project developed jointly with Sumitomo and K2. However, specific dates for the start of construction and commissioning of the metro in Ashgabat have not yet been announced.

Green Transport

Tashkent To Introduce Cable Car To Help Resolve Transport Problem

The Tashkent municipality and Chinese company Beijing North Bartholet Ropeway Technology Co., Ltd. have agreed on a project to introduce a cable car service to help in solving the Uzbek capital’s transport and environmental problems, the press service of the Tashkent municipality said. The agreement was signed during the Tashkent mayor’s visit to the Chinese city of Shenzhen on January 23rd, where he met with the management of Beijing North Bartholet Ropeway Technology, a joint venture with the Swiss company Bartholet Maschinenbau AG, a world leader in ropeways production. According to the agreement, the Chinese company is going to invest in a project to duplicate ground municipal transport in Tashkent with cable taxis. The project will first be presented to the public, whose recommendations and suggestions would be taken into account by the Chinese company’s designers, the municipality said. The Uzbek Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change earlier this month stated that emissions from motor vehicles largely the cause for increasing levels of air pollution in Tashkent. On average 730,000 vehicles are on the move in Tashkent every day, with between 160,000 to 300,000 entering the capital from the regions. To resolve the problem, the Tashkent municipality intends to develop green public transport.

Green Transport

Mazhilis Expanding Network of Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles

A draft law aimed at creating the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicles in Kazakhstan was presented at the meeting of the Mazhilis. Deputy Samat Musabayev noted that in 2022 a new world record for electric vehicles was set, with sales reaching over 7.8 million units. Forecasts also point to significant growth in sales of electric cars and hybrid vehicles worldwide in 2023, with about 17 million units expected to be sold. In the context of this trend, 7,793 electric vehicles were registered in Kazakhstan by the end of last year. The deputy noted that the increase in demand for environmentally friendly cars requires the development of appropriate infrastructure and improvement of the current legislation, which the proposed bill is aiming to rectify. The draft law aims to introduce new rules to ensure the installation of electric charging stations on roads, in residential and public areas. It also defines the competence of the authorities to locate electric charging stations, reserve the territory for them, and facilitates the parking and movement of electric vehicles. In addition, the bill provides for the exemption of electric car owners from parking charges. In addition, the deputies of the Mazhilis approved in its first reading a bill that provides for administrative liability for violating the rules of stopping or parking vehicles in places intended for recharging electric vehicles. The draft law "On amendments and additions to some legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the popularization of environmentally friendly transport and the development of infrastructure for electric vehicles" was approved.