ASTANA – Kazakhstan has signed agreements worth approximately $1.2 billion to develop renewable energy and modernize gas infrastructure during the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye. Participants attend the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
Photo credit: Prime Minister’s press service. The agreements provide for the construction of wind power plants with capacities of 150 megawatts in the Turkistan Region and one gigawatt in the Kostanai Region. They also cover the Aqyl Energy project, which involves installing 1.35 million smart gas meters with remote data transmission.
They also signed additional documents to expand international cooperation on environmental protection. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov attended the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change on the instruction of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
In his address, he outlined Kazakhstan’s environmental priorities, including reforestation, water security and the transition to cleaner energy, reported the Prime Minister’s press service on Nov. 11. Bektenov said the Taza Qazaqstan initiative had evolved into a nationwide movement, with more than six million people participating in environmental activities.
Over the past five years, the country has planted nearly 1.7 billion trees, with another 270 million seedlings planned for 2027. This would bring Kazakhstan closer to its target of planting two billion trees. He also called for stronger international cooperation on water security, highlighting Tokayev’s proposal to establish an International Water Organization under the UN’s auspices.
“Addressing environmental challenges requires closer cooperation,” Bektenov said, referring to the Regional Ecological Summit held in Astana in April. The summit resulted in the adoption of the Declaration on Environmental Solidarity of Central Asia, providing a framework for regional cooperation.
Kazakhstan is also expanding its renewable energy capacity. The share of renewables in the country’s energy mix quadrupled over the past six years, reaching 8% this year. The government aims to increase it to 15% by 2030. Other priorities include nuclear energy, wind and solar power, green hydrogen production, and a joint Green Energy Corridor project with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to facilitate clean electricity exports.
Bektenov also highlighted Alatau City as a prospective low-carbon urban development project and Kazakhstan’s use of artificial intelligence and satellite monitoring to forecast natural hazards and improve emergency prevention. At the national pavilion, Kazakhstan presented projects focused on reforestation, methane emission reduction, waste recycling and industrial decarbonization.
The exhibition also featured initiatives to restore the Northern Aral Sea, protect the Caspian ecosystem and develop a green energy corridor across the Caspian Sea to Europe. The pavilion showcased digital solutions, including a regional AI-powered carbon platform, satellite-based climate monitoring and the proposed Caspian Climate Shield adaptation system.