Regional and world
news
Kazakhstan’s state-owned natural gas
company has vowed that there will be no repeat
shortages of the fuel next fall and winter like
the ones that the country began to experience in
late 2022. But Arman Kasenov, the deputy chairman
of QazaqGaz, has said that consumers must in
future also do their share in helping avoid
crunches at times of peak demand by being more
economic in their use of gas. Anybody failing to
do so could face stiff bills, he hinted. In the
short-term, Kazakhstan plans to prevent shock
deficits by refraining from exporting gas. “Taking
the growth in gas consumption within Kazakhstan
into account, QazaqGaz cannot count on exports in
the next fall-winter period,” Kasenov said on
February 24.
Land degradation is one of the key
triggers of migration in Central Asia, confirms a
new study released by UNCCD this month. In the
region where drought and desertification cause
annual losses of about USD 6 billion, the number
of people who migrate each year in search of work
amounts to 2.5–4.3 million, or 10-15% of the
economically active population. The findings of
the study became the focus of an online discussion
hosted by the convention, inviting authors and
contributors from Central Asia, representatives of
partner organizations and over 100 virtual
attendees who could contribute to the discussion
via an online chat.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February
2022, the possibility of reducing Europe’s energy
dependence on Russian resources has been hotly
debated. The fossil fuel industries received most
attention as European Union leaders first
introduced gradual sanctions on Russian coal and
later on oil and gas, while Russia responded with
supply cuts. However, Russia’s role as a major
player in the global nuclear power sector has
remained largely below the sanctions radar,
despite dependencies on Russian nuclear
technology, uranium supplies and handling of spent
nuclear fuel. Here we analyse the state nuclear
company Rosatom and its subsidiaries as tools of
Russian energy statecraft. We map the company’s
global portfolio, then categorize countries where
Russia is active according to the degree and
intensity of dependence.
Georgia:
grants up to €9,000 for innovative ideas on
climate change mitigation and
adaptation
The Caucasus Environmental NGO Network
(CENN), with the support of the European Union,
announces a grant competition for innovative ideas
on climate change mitigation and adaptation. The
goal of the grant competition is to fund and
implement innovative and sustainable projects in
the target municipalities of the project in
Kakheti (Gurjaani, Sagarejo, and Akhmeta), Imereti
(Zestafon, Tkibuli, and Chiatura), Guria
(Lanchkhuti and Ozurgeti), and Racha-Lechkhumi
(Oni and Ambrolauri) regions. Local and national
civil society organisations, central and local
government, local community organisations,
educational institutions, companies,
entrepreneurs, farmers and agricultural
cooperatives are invited to apply.
Uzbekistan has been making significant
strides to incorporate sustainable practices into
its overall economic planning. The country began
transitioning from a planned economy to a market
economy in 2016. It has recognized the need to
enhance its economic transformation with a green
approach. The government has committed to building
a more sustainable economic model. Namely, a
presidential decree signed in December 2022
outlines certain reforms the authorities will need
to implement in this area. It adopted the Plan of
Action for Transitioning to a Green Economy and
Ensuring Green Growth until 2030, which includes
measures addressing the current environmental and
economic challenges to achieve green, resilient,
and inclusive
development.
The participants discussed strategic and
pragmatic issues related to water, environment,
climate change and sustainable growth in the CA
region, while highlighting challenges and
opportunities for the CA region to accelerate the
green transition and facilitate green investments.
Participants underlined the importance of the
water-energy interrelation for Central Asia and
the need to develop renewable energy sources. The
parties also reviewed the results of the
Platform’s activities since the previous
High-Level Conference held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
(2019), discussed the Platform’s priorities for
2023-2025 and agreed on practical steps for
enhancing policy dialogue and capacity development
in the field of environment, climate change and
water in CA.
Burning fossil fuels like oil, gas and
coal to generate electricity emits CO2, which is
the main driver of climate change. The carbon
capture process stops most of the CO2 produced
from being released, and either re-uses it or
stores it underground. The UK government wants a
new power station where carbon dioxide is captured
and stored under the North Sea - either in old and
gas reservoirs, or permeable rocks known as saline
aquifers. Carbon capture power plants are part of
the government's commitment to remove carbon from
UK electricity production by 2035. It hopes to
build at least one by the mid 2020s, although that
deadline now looks improbable.
Wealth, energy use, and the consumption of
goods and services are unevenly distributed across
the world. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are no
exception. Emissions vary across countries and across
generations, but even more so across income
groups. This commentary is part of the IEA’s
ongoing work to explore people-centred energy
transitions, including analysis on universal
energy access and just transitions for energy
sector workers. The analysis quantifies the
emissions footprints of individuals by income,
focusing on energy-related CO2 emissions.
Emissions are adjusted for trade to reflect the
upstream effects of individuals’ consumption
patterns.
The former UN secretary general Ban
Ki-moon has warned that the world’s largest
fund to help developing nations weather the
climate crisis remains an “empty shell”, despite
decades of promises by rich nations. “We need to
see a massive acceleration in mobilising trillions
of dollars needed to keep the world from climate
collapse,” he said. International climate finance
from rich to poor countries is between five and 10
times short of what is needed, according to the
UN. In 2020, money set aside to help poorer
countries adapt to climate breakdown amounted to
$29bn
– far below the $340bn a year that could be
needed by 2030.
Global fossil fuel industry emissions of
methane increased to a near record in 2022,
prompting a call from the International Energy
Agency for oil and gas companies to use “windfall”
profits to clean up leaks of the potent global
warming gas. The latest report from the IEA
estimated the industry was responsible for 135mn
tonnes of methane released into the atmosphere
last year, only slightly below the record high in
2019. Methane is the main component of gas and
accounts for about 30 per cent of the global
temperature rise since the industrial revolution,
with the energy industry making up about a third
of human-induced methane, second only to
agriculture. |
24th of February
marks the anniversary of the Russian invasion of
Ukraine which has led to significant climate and
energy consequences not only in Europe, but in the
Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA)
region. CAN EECCA will try to analyze impacts of
the war on the region using two recent
developments: nuclear ambition of Rosatom and
discussions on green transition with energy
independence from Russia. Despite the ongoing
Russian occupation of the Zaporizzya nuclear power
plant in Ukraine, Rosatom is signing deals with
Central Asian governments on building nuclear
power plants. Russia has long had a nuclear
presence in Central Asia, dating back to the
Soviet era.
