Discussion of the SCP Plan

On June 28, experts from the Secretariat for Sustainable Development Goals of the Economic Research Institute JSC (ERI) participated in a meeting to discuss the draft of the National Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production (hereinafter - the SCP Plan).

The draft plan was developed by SWITCH-Asia experts with the support of the EU-funded Water, Environment and Climate Change (WECOOP) project.

The discussion was attended by representatives of the central government agencies, the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms, experts from the European Union, Zhasyl Damu JSC and others.

The concept of sustainable consumption and production has evolved and been defined in different ways. The term SCP was first introduced at the UN conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Kazakhstan included SCP models in the adopted new Environmental Code of 2021 as a basic principle of environmental policy.

Opening the meeting, SWITCH-Asia's chief expert for Central Asia, Zulfira Zikrina, noted the importance of developing and implementing the SCP Plan in Kazakhstan.

Director of the Department of Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Akzan Shiranov made welcoming remarks.

Addressing the participants, Johannes Stenbaek Madsen, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Kazakhstan, emphasized that SCP is key to the transition to a green economy, as well as to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals and obligations under the Paris Agreement.

SWITCH-Asia expert Russell Frost voiced three fundamental aspects of SCP: resource efficiency, substitution with safer raw materials, circularity. In addition, he spoke about the role of SCP in promoting green economy and the tools of SCP.

In the following presentation, Russell Frost presented a draft Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan with specific activities for 2022-2030.

SWITCH-Asia expert Yerbol Orazbekov spoke about the need for infrastructure for solid waste management with a focus on biodegradable waste, including food waste. He also told about the current situation in terms of legislation, regulations in this area, identified problems in the field of biodegradable waste.

In conclusion, comments on the draft SCP Plan were discussed and received. At the end of the discussion, the participants agreed to send their comments and suggestions to the SWITCH-Asia experts in a working order.

Background:

The SWITCH Asia program is the largest SCP program supported by the EU in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Mongolia and China. The mission of the program, launched in 2007, is to support Asian countries' transition to low-carbon, resource-efficient, closed-cycle economies while promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns in Asia and greener supply chains between Asia and Europe. About 300 million euros have been invested in promoting sustainable consumption and production in Asia and Central Asia. In 15 years, 143 projects have been financed in the region. SCP aims to improve the environmental performance of products throughout their lifecycle, stimulates demand for better products and production technologies, and helps consumers make informed choices.