ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 18. Kazakhstan is introducing modern environmental policy instruments, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev said at a government meeting, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh Government.
According to him, the new provisions will be implemented through improvements in sectoral legislation and the adoption of advanced regulatory approaches.
Among the key priorities, the minister highlighted the transition to a preventive model of environmental regulation, shifting the focus from eliminating the consequences of pollution to preventing environmental damage.
Kazakhstan also plans to introduce automated monitoring systems aimed at supporting the environmental modernization of industrial enterprises, while strengthening their accountability for exceeding emission standards.
Another important direction is the development of an integrated environmental permitting system, which will allow environmental requirements to be embedded into industrial planning and management processes.
In addition, the government will continue to apply concessional financing mechanisms for projects addressing waste management infrastructure challenges in the regions. This includes 64 planned projects, of which 26 are already financed and under implementation, totaling more than 90 billion tenge (about $187 million).
The expansion of economic instruments, including offset mechanisms and environmental payments, is also expected to stimulate the adoption of clean technologies.
“It is important to note that at the end of last year, the Concept for the management of all types of waste was adopted. This is the first policy document that systematizes the entire sector,” Nysanbayev said.
A nationwide referendum on the adoption of the new Constitution was held on March 15. The decree to hold the vote was signed on February 11 by Tokayev. According to official results, 87.15% of voters supported the proposal.