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SDSN Kazakhstan Publishes New Policy Brief on Kazakhstan’s Progress and Challenges in Achieving SDGs 13 and 15

By SDSN Kazakhstan

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Kazakhstan network (SDSN Kazakhstan) has released a new policy brief, “Kazakhstan’s Progress and Challenges in Achieving SDG 13 & SDG 15,” assessing the country’s efforts to advance climate action and biodiversity conservation while identifying priority areas for further progress.

Progress and Remaining Challenges

The policy brief finds that Kazakhstan has strengthened environmental governance and biodiversity protection, demonstrating institutional commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) through national strategies, including a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

At the same time, several challenges continue to limit progress. These include high per capita CO₂ emissions that remain nearly three times the global average, continued dependence on fossil fuels, and stagnating ecosystem protection indicators for both terrestrial and freshwater areas.

The analysis concludes that stronger implementation efforts are needed to translate policy commitments into measurable environmental outcomes.

Recommendations

The policy brief identifies four priority areas for action:

  1. Scale Up Climate and Biodiversity Finance: Mobilize international climate and biodiversity funds, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF); and expand blended finance and public-private partnerships for adaptation and ecosystem restoration.
  2. Accelerate the Clean Energy Transition: Expand investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency programs; establish a coal phase-out timeline consistent with the 2060 carbon neutrality strategy; and diversify exports into low-carbon and green technology sectors.
  3. Strengthen Ecosystem Protection and Land Management: Expand terrestrial and freshwater protected areas to meet the global 30% biodiversity target; implement national biodiversity action plans aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework; and promote climate-smart agriculture and land-use zoning to prevent habitat loss.
  4. Improve Monitoring and Governance Systems: Develop centralized platforms and remote sensing tools to track SDG progress; integrate climate and biodiversity objectives into energy, water, agriculture, and infrastructure policies; and enhance community-level data collection and stakeholder-driven reporting.

The brief emphasizes that achieving stronger outcomes under SDGs 13 and 15 will require increased financing, an accelerated energy transition efforts, expanded ecosystem protection, and more effective monitoring and governance systems.

Read the full brief here. To learn more about SDSN Kazakhstan’s policy and research initiatives, visit the Network’s website.