ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 18. Kazakhstan is
introducing modern environmental policy instruments, Minister of
Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev said at a
government meeting, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh
Government.
According to him, the new provisions will be implemented through
improvements in sectoral legislation and the adoption of advanced
regulatory approaches.
Among the key priorities, the minister highlighted the
transition to a preventive model of environmental regulation,
shifting the focus from eliminating the consequences of pollution
to preventing environmental damage.
Kazakhstan also plans to introduce automated monitoring systems
aimed at supporting the environmental modernization of industrial
enterprises, while strengthening their accountability for exceeding
emission standards.
Another important direction is the development of an integrated
environmental permitting system, which will allow environmental
requirements to be embedded into industrial planning and management
processes.
In addition, the government will continue to apply concessional
financing mechanisms for projects addressing waste management
infrastructure challenges in the regions. This includes 64 planned
projects, of which 26 are already financed and under
implementation, totaling more than 90 billion tenge (about $187
million).
The expansion of economic instruments, including offset
mechanisms and environmental payments, is also expected to
stimulate the adoption of clean technologies.
“It is important to note that at the end of last year, the
Concept for the management of all types of waste was adopted. This
is the first policy document that systematizes the entire sector,”
Nysanbayev said.
A nationwide referendum on the adoption of the new Constitution
was held on March 15. The decree to hold the vote was signed on
February 11 by Tokayev. According to official results, 87.15% of
voters supported the proposal.
