Nationally Determined Contribution of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the global response to climate change.

Nationally Determined Contribution of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the global response to climate change is a multi-sectoral policy document. It includes the following information dedicated to facilitate clarity, transparency and understanding of the nationally determined contributions: (a) subject to the quantifiable assessment of information about the reference point: general description of the target; base year; quantifiable information on the reference indicators; circumstances to update the values of the reference indicators and other information; (b) time frames: period for implementation; type of the target; (c) scope and coverage: general description of the target; coverage of emissions and sectors; (d) planning processes: domestic institutional arrangements; best practices and experience related to the preparation of the NDC; (e) assumptions and methodological approaches: accounting for emissions and removals; methodologies and metrics used for estimating anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and removals; methodologies and metrics for specific sectors; (f) fairness and ambitiousness of the nationally determined contribution: fairness and ambitiousness of the target; (g) role of the nationally determined contribution towards achieving the objective of the Convention: contribution towards achieving the objective of the Convention; (h) component on adaptation to climate change: national circumstances, institutional arrangements and legal frameworks; impacts, risks and vulnerabilities; national adaptation priorities, strategies, policies, plans, goals, and actions; implementation of adaptation actions and plans; adaptation actions and economic diversification plans, including those that result in mitigation co-benefits; how adaptation actions contribute to other international frameworks and/or conventions; gender-responsive (and traditional/local/indigenous people knowledge) adaptation action.
Unconditional target is the reduction of GHG emissions by 15% by the end of 2030 relative to 1990 base year. Conditional target is the reduction of GHG emissions by 25% by the end of 2030 relative to 1990 base year, subject to significant additional international investments and significant grant assistance; access to an international technology transfer mechanism; co-financing and participation in international research projects, development of promising low-carbon technologies and initiatives to build local expertise. Achievement of NDC targets and carbon neutrality will demand holistic digitalization first of all in the energy sector and the environment to track a carbon footprint and to ensure transparency as well as the creation of an innovation ecosystem both for applied research programs and new financial tools on decarbonization. The Republic of Kazakhstan aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, which contributes to the accelerated achievement of the global peak of greenhouse gas emissions in the first half of the 21st century and also takes into account the constraints imposed by the principles of equity, sustainable development and poverty eradication.
The priorities of the government of Kazakhstan focus on the adaptation needs of the key sectors impacted by climate change are: (a) agriculture; (b) water resources management; (c) forestry; and (d) disaster risk reduction.
The 2021-2030 Action Plan contains several measures linked to adaptation to climate change, especially those concerning a reduction in the intensity of the use of water, transformation of agriculture, energy efficiency, modernization of housing and communal services, development of sustainable transport but also conservation of ecosystems and enhancement of forest cover. Several of these measures bring additional benefits to other sectors affected by climate change. For example, afforestation, apart from economic benefits and additional mitigation outcomes, will enable the government to address land erosion, increase water retention and improve groundwater quality. Greening cities and creating forest belts around the biggest towns will not only support groundwater management and retention but will improve the quality of air and create a pleasant living environment for city dwellers.
Several actions have already been planned in the 2021-2030 Action Plan for agriculture: crops diversification, gradual move away from water-intensive crops, shift to water-saving technologies, modernization of drip irrigation and corresponding infrastructure in view of any hypothetical change and redistribution of river runoff in a year, shift to modern organic farming and better soil management to maintain its carbon content, change in fodder for animals to reduce methane emissions from cattle and prevention of overgrazing, responsible management and protection of pastures. One of the planned measures would be to conduct updated agroclimatic zoning of the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan to take into account the observed changes in conditions for the growth of the crops.