ASTANA – Kazakhstan has identified 5.2 million hectares of non-forested land within its 31-million-hectare state forest fund as having potential for carbon projects, opening new opportunities for investors in emissions reduction and carbon absorption projects, Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Yerlan Nyssanbayev said.
“This opens new opportunities for investors to participate in projects to reduce and absorb emissions and generate carbon units,” Nyssanbayev said at a seminar on developing Kazakhstan’s carbon project market under the Paris Agreement. The opportunity comes as Kazakhstan seeks to attract climate investment while meeting its international commitments.
The country has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2030 and 17% by 2035, compared with 1990 levels, reported Kazinform on Aug. 13. According to Nyssanbayev, the country’s potential is concentrated in forestry, agriculture and energy efficiency.
The government is also considering Article 6 of the Paris Agreement as an additional mechanism for attracting investment in emission-reduction and carbon-absorption projects. Nyssanbayev previously told The Astana Times that developing carbon sequestration sites could help restore degraded pasturelands, expand green areas and increase carbon absorption.
He also noted that such sites could allow farmers to participate in the carbon market through carbon farming. The move is significant because Kazakhstan’s existing greenhouse gas regulation system, including the free allocation of emission quotas, does not provide sufficient incentives for technological modernization, the minister said.
A revised version of Kazakhstan’s rules on state regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and absorption entered into force on Aug. 10. The changes establish detailed procedures for climate projects under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The updated rules define key concepts, including validation, verification, monitoring, authorization, baseline scenarios and internationally transferable mitigation outcomes.
They also establish the process for transferring verified emission-reduction or absorption results internationally. Participation in Article 6 mechanisms is voluntary. Developers must first submit a project concept for review by relevant government authorities. If approved, the project proceeds to registration and preparation of project, monitoring and sustainable-development plans.
The documents then undergo validation and examination. After implementation, project results are monitored and verified before being recorded in the relevant registry. International transfer requires separate authorization. Project approval therefore does not automatically allow investors to transfer all future results abroad; each subsequent reporting period requires new verification and authorization.
The new framework gives investors a clearer route from project development to internationally transferable carbon units. However, land availability alone will not determine whether the market develops. Reliable monitoring, transparent verification, predictable approval procedures and the ability to demonstrate genuine emission reductions or increased carbon absorption will also be important.