Expert opinion: Aisha Okusheva
10.09.2020
In the State of the Nation Address "Kazakhstan in a New Reality:
Time for Action", the President of the state announced measures to
improve the environmental situation in the country. The Government was
instructed to adopt the new Environmental Code of the Republic of
Kazakhstan (hereinafter - the Code) by the end of this year. The
task of protecting the environment is an important prerequisite for
sustainable development and improving living conditions for future
generations. The environmental measures outlined by the
President of the State are aimed at achieving the Global Sustainable
Development Goals to combat climate change and preserve ecosystems. During discussions of the Draft Code in the Government, Yakup Berish,
the permanent representative of the UN Development Program in
Kazakhstan, noted that the formulation of the new version of the
document lays the foundation for creating a system of strategic
environmental assessment in accordance with international standards.
This means that Kazakhstan is included in the international process of
setting new standards and norms for resource saving. But at the same
time, significant financial resources will be requireв to promote the
idea of "green" growth. It should be noted that the draft Code under development has been widely
and vigorously discussed in the Parliament with the involvement of
independent experts, public environmental and international
organizations, as well as in social networks since the end of 2019. The current Code in Kazakhstan was adopted in 2007.
And the amendments made over a 10-year period did not create the
necessary conditions for ensuring environmental safety and preservation
of ecological systems. Today,
Kazakhstan is aimed at creating an environmentally-oriented economy, the
foundations of which are fixed in the Concept of Transition of the
Republic of Kazakhstan to "Green Economy". Thus, measures announced in relation to the environment and development
of "green economy" will allow reducing the scale of negative impact by
reducing pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, the
competitiveness of the economy will increase by reducing dependence on
carbon raw materials. Formerly all the
environmental fees did not have a target orientation. Every year, the
national and local budgets received funds in the amount of about KZT 110
bln. The share of expenses on environmental measures implementation
ranged from 2 % to 10 %. New version of the Code defines standards for
100 % use of environmental payments for the implementation of
environmental protection measures. The
Draft Code also provides for the introduction of
Polluter-Pays-Principle, which is widely used in OECD countries. The
main message of this principle is to stimulate environmental awareness
among nature users by introducing high fees for adverse impact. In
addition, the Code prohibits the implementation of planned activities
by businesses, including the issuance of an environmental permit and
provision of land without preliminary environmental impact assessment.
At that, the public participates in all stages of environmental impact
assessment. An important point in the
Draft Code is the issue of transition of enterprises in Kazakhstan to a
comprehensive environmental permit using the Best Available Techniques
(BAT). At the same time, those enterprises that have implemented BAT
will be exempt from payment for emissions. In European countries where
BATs have been successfully implemented, the amount of polluting
emissions has been reduced by 94 %. It should be noted here that the
BATs introduction process may take a long time, since such a plan of
action requires huge funds and investments. In
today's reality, global climate change poses a direct threat to the
world community and the well-being of entire regions. The relevance of
low-carbon development is emphasized around the world at the highest
political level. Most developed countries have already formulated
national strategies for low-carbon development. That is why in the
Address to the people of Kazakhstan, the President of the State
emphasized the transition of the Republic of Kazakhstan to low-carbon
development and "green" economy. This
year, it is expected to adopt the Strategy of low-carbon development of
Kazakhstan until 2050. The key aspect of Kazakhstan's transition to
low-carbon development will be the development of renewable and
alternative energy sources. Many advanced countries are gradually
abandoning coal in favor of alternative energy - wind, solar, and
biomass. The leaders in the development of "green" energy today are
China, Denmark, India and Iceland. China is recognized as a world leader
in investment in clean energy technologies. In 2017, according to the
RISE Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy, Denmark scored 86
points out of 100 in energy efficiency and 94 points in renewable
energy. Switching to renewable energy sources will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environmental situation. It
was noted in the International Study "Future of the human climate
niche" that by 2050, up to 3.5 billion of the world's population may
find themselves in zones of weather conditions unsuited to live in if
humanity does not stop climate change on the planet by reducing carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions. In this regard, it is very important to hold
discussions not only at the global level, but also at the local level,
which means that every country, region, and person should be involved in
environmental protection policies. Currently,
the coronavirus has changed the world, although a few months ago it was
impossible to believe. The results of environmental studies by
independent scientists indicate that changes in the environment can also
lead to similar processes. At that, the rate of development of the
environmental crisis is not as noticeable as the spread of the pandemic.
Therefore, the environmental issue requires regular discussions with
experts and representatives of civil society in order to take immediate
specific steps.
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