Kazakhstan, Astana, May 3 / Trend, D. Mukhtarov /
The capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, has joined the European Union's energy conservation initiative, according to the website of the Astana Akimat (city hall).
"Today, during a regular session of the City Maslihat [local representative body], MPs supported the idea of Astana joining the European Union in its "Covenant of Mayors-East" initative, which calls on the international community to use energy sparingly," a statement on the website said.
According to the Chairman of the Board of the "National Housing and Construction Chamber of Kazakhstan" Saltanat Rakhimbekova, the forthcoming exhibition EXPO-2017 finds more and more supporters and international partners looking to provide support to Astana's transformation into the capital of energy conservation and efficiency. One such strong partner is the European Union with its breakthrough initiative the "Covenant of Mayors-East."
"The idea of the agreement is aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The signatory cities receive support in achieving specific indicators. For example, professionals and energy managers will be trained at the expense of the European Union. Moreover, it is a good opportunity for Astana and the leading capitals of Europe to exchange experience," Rakhimbekova said.
This agreement is very important in light of the upcoming exhibition EXPO-2017 which will be themed "Energy for the future." Astana could explore the experience of European countries, such as Germany or Poland, where the rehabilitation of buildings has reduced energy consumption by 50-60 percent. To date, the "Covenant of Mayors-East" is being supported by 4,600 cities around the world with a collective population of 180 million people.