Analysis of Green Technology Development in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Although Kazakhstan is a fossil fuel rich country, policymakers desire to develop a green and sustainable economy and to contribute to the global energy transition. To understand the overall situation in green technology development in the industrial sector, we conducted the first countrywide study in Kazakhstan. In this paper, we present the results of the large survey on the use of “green technologies” by industrial companies in every region of the country. We aggregate the 380 reported cases of the use of green technologies by sectors like energy production, waste management, and others. We found the largest number of cases accumulated in the waste management sector, and the smallest in green building construction. Our work shows that only 266 out of 877 (~30%) industrial organizations in Kazakhstan utilize some form of green technology. Based on detailed analysis of 141 organizations, the Karagandy, East Kazakhstan, Aktobe, and Atyrau regions reported the largest number of applications of green technologies among the 17 administrative-territorial units of Kazakhstan. We also discuss barriers to the diffusion of clean technologies. We believe that this work will be of interest to politicians, environmentalists, and practitioners who are concerned about the impacts of global warming.