“The results of EcoMuseum’s projects to reduce the impact and adapt to climate change in the region are very indicative. Within the framework of the project, for the first time, a regional strategy for low-carbon development was developed based on an analysis of the problems and identified priorities of the national strategy for low-carbon development. All the developed activities are practical and results-oriented,” Yerlan Zhumabayev, Acting Country Director of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) in Kazakhstan, commented on the results of the final conference of the project “Civil Society Participation in Climate Change Mitigation in the Karaganda Region.”
A closing conference of the EU-funded project “Civil Society Participation in Climate Change Mitigation in the Karaganda Region” was held in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 23 October 2024.
The project strengthened climate action in the region to contribute to the country’s fulfilment of its national commitments under the Paris Agreement. The progress was achieved through cooperation between civic activists, experts and state authorities.
“Climate change is a global emergency. We need immediate and transformative action, with coherent policies to reduce emissions, green our energy sectors, and address environmental issues. The EU and Kazakhstan have pledged to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions within a generation – 2050 and 2060 respectively. At the EU, we remain fully committed to staying the course on our climate goals, decarbonizing our economy, and working closely with our partners to achieve shared climate objectives. Through this project we were happy to support activists and local authorities in the Karaganda region in their ambition to develop concrete measures on climate mitigation and adaptation,” stated Aleška Simkić, Ambassador of the European Union to Kazakhstan.
“Karaganda Region is the first in Kazakhstan to develop a policy to reduce impacts and adapt to climate change. This is an important step for the entire country, proving our commitment to global efforts. The support of European partners, who shared their experience, played an important role in this process”, commented Dmitriy Kalmykov, development director of EcoMuseum.
The project experts conducted an analysis of the greenhouse gas accounting system and analysis of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the findings of which will help improve the situation in the future.
The project enabled civic activists to get involved in the development of strategic documents at the regional level. Practical projects were implemented demonstrating accessible ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (in the field of energy efficiency, alternative transport, irrigation, landscaping of buildings and territories). A lot of work was done to introduce climate change issues into media coverage and school curriculum (more than 350 school teachers took part in the seminars). The project’s information campaign in Kazakh and Russian, including publications, articles, videos, photo exhibitions, open-airs, lectures and discussions, reached more than 200,000 people, which significantly improved public awareness of the topic of climate change.
The project is implemented by the Arnika NGO (Czech Republic) and the Karaganda Regional Ecological Museum NGO. The project’s duration: March 2022 ‒ October 2024. Total budget: EUR 288,325; EU contribution: EUR 250,000.
For more information, please contact Irina Ignatovich, irina.ignatovich@ecomuseum.kz, + 7 (7212) 41 33 44, +7 705 759-99-09; Martin Skalsky, martin.skalsky@arnika.org, +420 775 168 026; or the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan, delegation-kazakhstan-pic@eeas.europa.eu.
