SWITCH-Asia

Nur-Sultan, 12 November 2019 – The SWITCH-Asia SCP Facility supported by the European Union Delegation to Kazakhstan organised the first Multi-stakeholder Consultation on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). The event brought together around 30 stakeholders, including policy makers, practitioners and civil society to discuss challenges and identify national priorities on SCP, ultimately strengthening Kazakhstan’s work towards achieving the United Nations Global Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and shifting towards a green and circular economy. 

Countries in Central Asia are at different stages in terms of awareness raising and policies towards shifting to SCP. Various measures and programmes related to SCP exist in Kazakhstan, such as: roadmaps “Business 2020”, “Agribusiness 2020”, “Industrial-innovation Development Program”, the establishment of a Council for green economy, the Extended Producer Responsibility in the waste management sector, a Green Public Procurement (GPP) policy that includes criteria on products made with secondary/recycled materials; a policy on Private-Public Partnerships (PPP) focusing on water and waste, as well as a national green buildings standard. Nevertheless, according to Mr Akhmetzhan Primkulov, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources, “Kazakhstan needs to focus on a few priorities to demonstrate how to induce and deliver change while strengthening collaboration between the various stakeholders, such as greening the supply chain in support to SMEs and promoting energy efficiency in the building sector, while elaborating a National Action Plan on SCP to further support the transition to Sustainability”.

The interactive discussions between the various stakeholders resulted in three main priorities as driving forces to deliver impact towards a green and circular economy through the promotion of sustainable consumption and production; these concern: circular economy and industry 4.0, the SCP action plan, and energy efficiency in the construction sector.

While current challenges persist in the process of moving towards a circular economy and adopting SCP practices; sustainable public procurement, water and waste water management, housing and construction, agriculture and food safety, safe management of chemicals and integrated waste management, remain high-level national priorities. 

Referring to the major policy frameworks the EU has developed towards SCP, such as the various directives on resource efficiency, green economy, circular economy and plastics, Mr. Johannes Stenbaek Madsen, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan stressed the importance of the SWITCH-Asia programme, recently expanded to Central Asia, in further supporting the country’s ongoing work and achievements. “The EU is committed to continue assisting our partners in their green economic transition including actions on renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and food systems, and advancing more sustainable forms of urbanisation,” said Johannes Stenbaek Madsen.

Noting the current unsustainable consumption and production patterns characterised by inefficiency, despite the various policies and action plans, Dr Arab Hoballah, SWITCH-Asia SCP Facility Team Leader, “reinforced the importance of holding these consultations for building a shared understanding between all stakeholders on the challenges and opportunities for actions as well as the need to strengthen partnerships in order to mainstream SCP effectively and across sectors. Considering the cross-cutting nature of SCP, effective actions should embrace a systemic, integrated and lifecycle approach.”

These consultations will be followed by the elaboration of a SWITCH-Asia action plan for Kazakhstan to be implemented in the next few years, in close association with concerned parties.