The head of state spoke at the Climate Action Summit of World Leaders, which is being held as part of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The first to take the floor after the opening of the plenary session was the President of Kazakhstan. At the beginning of his speech, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev confirmed Kazakhstan's commitment to the global climate agenda and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating climate change. He reminded the forum participants of our country's ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
The head of state noted that access to predictable financing and modern technologies is vital to achieving the set goals. He stated that within the framework of the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG), special attention should be paid to regions most vulnerable to climate change, including landlocked developing countries.
"Despite the fact that Central Asia accounts for only 1% of global emissions, this region faces numerous climate risks. To improve the effectiveness of measures to respond to climate change, we must actively use advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, satellite monitoring, and other digital tools that provide early warning and more effective management of water and land resources," the president said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed the importance of transitioning to sustainable agriculture. As noted in his speech, Kazakhstan, with 200 million hectares of agricultural land, is an ideal platform for introducing “carbon farming,” that is, agricultural production methods that reduce emissions and improve soil quality. He invited interested parties to explore Kazakhstan’s potential in this sector.
- Our country provides 43% of the world's uranium supplies and plays a significant role in the development of low-carbon nuclear energy. In October of this year, citizens of Kazakhstan supported the construction of a nuclear power plant in a nationwide referendum. We strive to ensure the safety and efficiency of this project through partnership with global technology leaders in the field of energy, - the head of state noted.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also touched upon the problem of global water resources.
– Climate change is already having a serious impact on the global water cycle. Water-related disasters account for more than 80% of all natural disasters. This year, Kazakhstan has faced unprecedented floods. To quickly respond in the future and recover from such emergencies, we are implementing a comprehensive risk management system. To update the water agenda, Kazakhstan will hold the One Water Summit in partnership with France in December this year. Participants of this forum will discuss the problems of global water management. Today, the Caspian Sea is under threat. Saving the largest lake in the world is our common problem, requiring long-term international cooperation. We support the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev to create a Group of Experts from the Caspian states. Along with this, Kazakhstan is taking specific steps to preserve the Aral Sea, – the president added.
In conclusion of his speech, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for organizing the summit and Azerbaijan's successful chairmanship of COP 29. The President reiterated that Kazakhstan is firmly committed to multilateral efforts aimed at forming a fair, inclusive and transparent climate agenda, and also confirmed its readiness for further cooperation with international partners. The summit is also scheduled to feature speeches by leaders of more than 80 states, heads of international and regional organizations.
By the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda