President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the World Climate Summit in Dubai
December 1, 2023
Dubai, UAE
The President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a speech at the World Climate Summit, which is being held as part of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai.
The Head of Kazakhstan in his speech emphasized that today half of the world's population lives in regions that are highly dependent on climate change.
– Small island developing states, landlocked developing countries and least developed countries are most at risk. Persistent geopolitical instability and energy insecurity also make it difficult to maintain focus on the climate agenda, he said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev supported the UN call to take concrete actions aimed at preserving the environment for future generations, and emphasized that Kazakhstan became the first country in the region to ratify the Paris Agreement and adopt the Carbon Neutrality Strategy until 2060.
According to him, the Environmental Code adopted in Kazakhstan will contribute to the comprehensive adaptation of green technologies in almost every sector of the national economy.
– Our country has enormous potential for the development of wind and solar energy, as well as for the production of “green” hydrogen. We will continue to work closely with our partners to unlock this potential. As a leading exporter of uranium, accounting for 43% of the world's supply, we play a critical role in the production of carbon-free electricity on a global scale,” noted the Head of State.
According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in the coming decades, essential minerals, including rare earths, will become indispensable as the world decarbonizes. In this regard, the President announced Kazakhstan’s readiness to become the main supplier of such minerals of the transition period.
He also stated that our country actively supports private “green” initiatives, and cited the example of the Kazakhstan Plastic Association, which is working on projects to get rid of plastic waste, contributing to environmental protection.
The Head of State recalled that reducing methane emissions is the fastest way to slow down the rate of global warming. In this regard, he announced Kazakhstan's decision to join the Global Methane Pledge.
In addition, the President informed about Kazakhstan’s desire to solve the large-scale coal problem in the countries of our region through the implementation of the Partnership for a Just Energy Transition in our country and called on friends and partners to support Kazakhstan in this matter.
“More broadly, we hope that the international community will increase its commitment to increasing climate finance. But financing is only the first obstacle. Even if we successfully limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees by 2050, Central Asian countries will still face a temperature rise of up to 2.5 degrees. This will lead to water shortages, extreme heat, desertification and extreme hydrological phenomena, - considers the Head of State.
In this context, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on the international community to allocate more funds to support the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, once the fourth largest inland body of water in the world.
– Kazakhstan will assume the chairmanship of the Fund next year and hopes to involve all partners in resolving this issue. In addition, we are pleased, together with France, to co-chair the first thematic “One Water” Summit on the sidelines of the next session of the UN General Assembly. Based on the successful results of COP 28 held this week, I invite participating states to the Astana International Forum in June 2024. The forum can serve as a dialogue platform for continued focused cooperation on pressing climate-related issues before COP 29. To give impetus to climate action in Central Asia, we have also decided to convene a Regional Climate Summit in Kazakhstan in 2026 under the auspices of the UN, - emphasized President of Kazakhstan.
Summing up his speech, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that the climate emergency is a global crisis that requires a global response, and only collective action and cooperation will help us solve the climate crisis.
On the sidelines of the Summit, the President of Kazakhstan talked with the heads of state and other forum participants: Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, President of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Hungary Katalin Novák, Prime Minister of Andorra Xavier Espot Zamora, President of the European Council Charles Michel, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.
In addition, the Head of State held separate meetings with the Minister of Investment of the United Arab Emirates, Managing Director of “ADQ Holding” Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “ACWA Power” Mohammad Abunayyan, and also took part in the signing ceremony of a number of agreements between government agencies and business structures of Kazakhstan and other countries.