Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made a speech at the World Climate Summit, which is being held as part of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (UAE).
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 generating carbon-free electricity on a global scale,” the head of state said.
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 transition minerals.
He also stated that our country actively supports private “green” initiatives, and cited the example of the domestic Packaging 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 Commitment to Reduce Methane Emissions.
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 the international community will expand 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 events,” the head of state said.
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 take over 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 to continue focused cooperation on pressing climate-related issues before COP 29. To provide impetus for 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 the 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.
Leaders of more than 40 states, heads of international and regional organizations also spoke at the summit.
By the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda
