The President spoke at the opening ceremony of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Development Week summit
Abu Dhabi, UAE
As part of his official visit to the United Arab Emirates, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev took part in the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Development Week summit.
In his speech, the Head of State thanked Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for organizing a large-scale international event, which will discuss topical issues at the global level.
The President called it a common task to address sustainable development issues for a cleaner and greener future.
– To our common regret, in the context of growing geopolitical instability and lack of energy security, the topic of climate change has receded into the background. As global temperatures rise, the yields of the most important crops, providing more than 66% of the world's calories, could be significantly reduced. There is also a serious risk of fresh water shortages. According to a UN report, by 2050, due to climate change, drinking water shortages threaten to affect more than 5 billion people. Ultimately, this could undermine the world's food supply, as well as energy, urban and ecological systems. All this requires urgent and effective action, and not only political ones. Unprecedented investments are needed to save the planet,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
According to the Head of State, measures to combat climate change should not be carried out to the detriment of development or modernization - these processes should take place simultaneously.
“We hope that the international community will increase its contribution to climate change financing. That is why today's meeting is so important. Kazakhstan has made long-term commitments to achieve carbon neutrality. In fact, our country was one of the first to ratify the Paris Agreement. Following this, we formulated an ambitious but well-thought-out policy that is aimed at diversifying the economy and promoting renewable energy sources and sustainable technologies,” the President said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, noting that almost 70% of electricity in Kazakhstan is generated from coal, dwelled separately on the main measures that will ensure deep structural changes in industry and the economy.
According to him, the new Environmental Code stimulates industrial corporations to a large-scale energy transition.
– The full amount of eligible investments by companies in environmental modernization is deducted from environmental payments to the budget. On the regulatory front, this year we are finalizing the industry standards guide, Best Available Techniques (BAT), for all major industries. At the next stage, the 50 largest corporations, which account for 80% of environmental pollution, will have to switch to these standards, the Head of State emphasized.
He noted that Kazakhstan is the first country in Central Asia that has adopted a long-term strategy to achieve carbon neutrality. This strategy defines the best ways to achieve nationally determined climate change contribution targets.
– The national system of quotas and trading in quotas for greenhouse gas emissions has already proven its effectiveness as a mechanism to stimulate emission reductions and the development of energy efficiency technologies. Our common goal is to bridge the gap between national and European emissions trading systems. All these measures will ensure the fulfillment of the obligations of the Paris Agreement by 2030, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The President informed the summit participants about the prospects for the development of renewable and alternative energy in Kazakhstan.
– The abundance of wind and sun, as well as the vast territory of our country, can make Kazakhstan a leader in this sector, able to contribute to global climate protection efforts. In this regard, we are improving the regulatory framework, creating the most attractive conditions for investors. In general, according to our plans, by 2035, 6.5 GW of renewable energy resources will be introduced in Kazakhstan. Another promising area is "green" hydrogen. International experts believe that our country can enter the top ten exporters of hydrogen,” he said.
The head of state pointed out the importance of using the potential of nuclear energy as one of the important factors in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
– Our country ranks first in the world in the production of natural uranium. We produce nuclear fuel components domestically and are well positioned to further promote the safe use of nuclear energy. In our opinion, this is a very promising area for trade and investment at the regional and global levels, the President emphasized.
Along with this, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev believes that planting a forest is a vital part of the climate change mitigation strategy. He noted that Kazakhstan has joined the Declaration on forests and land use, adopted at the 26th UN Conference on Climate Change (COP26). In addition, the country has launched a massive project to plant two billion trees by 2025. Last year, 282 million trees were planted and another 410 million are planned to be planted this year.
The President recalled that Kazakhstan, which ranks seventh in the world in grain production, intends to use its agricultural potential to protect global food security.
– We are actively cooperating with the World Food Program and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to supply wheat flour as a humanitarian aid to the Afghan people. In this context, I call for active cooperation with the Islamic Organization for Food Security to help developing countries ensure food security, the Head of State said.
At the end of his speech, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on all participants of the Summit to actively implement green projects, mobilize ESG investments and join efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Photo credit: Akorda.kz
Photo credit: @AbiyAhmedAli
Photo credit: Akorda.kz