Ecological Code (Law No. 212-Z).

This Ecological Code shall regulate relations in the sphere of protection, reproduction and conservation of environment, management and reproduction of natural resources in the process of economic and other activities related to the management of natural resources and environmental impact on the national territory. Protection against destruction, degradation, damage, pollution and other harmful impact shall be subject land (soil), subsoil, surface water and groundwater; atmospheric air; forests and other vegetation; wild fauna, genetic resources of living organisms; natural ecological systems, climate and the Earth's ozone layer. The Government implements the state policy on the implementation of obligations under international treaties of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of climate change. The basic principles of the environmental legislation shall be: (a) sustainable development; (b) environmental security; (c) ecosystem approach; (d) state regulation in the sphere of environmental protection and state management of natural resources; (e) prevention of environmental pollution; (f) liability; (g) compensation of environmental damages; (h) environmental fees application and issuance of environmental permits; (i) interaction, coordination and transparency in the functioning of the authorized state environmental institutions; (j) incentives for the prevention of environmental pollution and waste; (k) availability of environmental information; and (l) assumption of environmental risks of the projected activity for environment and population. State regulation in the field of environmental protection includes: (a) licensing of activities in the field of environmental protection; (b) environmental standardization; (c) technical regulation in the field of environmental protection; (d) state environmental audit; (e) issuance of environmental permits; (f) state environmental supervision; (g) system of economic regulation of environmental protection, encouraging the introduction of the best environmentally friendly technologies, the system of financing of environmental protection measures; (h) quotas for greenhouse gas emissions; (i) inventory of greenhouse gases; (j) establishment of market mechanisms for emission reduction and absorption of greenhouse gases; (k) system for monitoring of actual emissions and absorption of greenhouse gases; (l) state environmental monitoring; (m) state registration of natural resource users, sources and sites of environmental pollution; and (n) environmental education and awareness. The Act consists of nine Sections divided into 326 articles: (1) general provisions; (2) licensing; (3) economic regulation of environmental protection and nature management; (4) ecological inspection; (5) ecological monitoring and registration; (6) environmental disasters; (7) ecological education and research; (8) ecological requirements for the projected economic activity; and (9) liability and dispute settlement. The state regulation in the sphere of environmental protection shall include: (a) licensing; (b) rate setting; (c) technical regulation; (d) state environmental audit; (e) issuance of environmental permits; (f) state ecological inspection; (g) economic regulation; (h) state environmental monitoring; (i) state registration of nature managers, sources and areas of pollution; and (k) ecological education.