Kazakstan

Wind and solar reached 4% of Kazakhstan’s electricity production in 2021, up from a near-zero share in 2016. However, the share of fossil fuels also increased slightly from 87% to 88% during this period. In 2021, the country continued to rely heavily on coal (68%) and gas (20%) to meet a large portion of its power demand. 

Kazakhstan is lagging behind other Asian countries in decarbonizing its electricity sector. Between 2016 and 2021, its non-fossil power share remained near 12.5%, while Asia’s average increased from 25% to 30%.  

In October 2021, Kazakhstan pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 and increase its share of renewables to 15% by 2030. To limit global temperature rises to 1.5C, Kazakhstan should phase out sub-critical coal plants by 2030, fully decarbonise electricity by 2040 and become net-zero by 2050. 

Last updated: March 2022