April 22 is celebrated every year as a truly global holiday - the International Mother Earth Day. The goal of this worldwide campaign is to attract the attention of every person to the problems of the environment. Speaking of Kazakhstan, the main environmental problems here are the air pollution of megapolises and industrial cities, reservoirs, the problem of the Aral Sea, shoaling of the Balkhash Lake, melting of mountain glaciers.
The country has dozens of “green” organizations that are struggling to preserve the nature. The number of renewable and alternative energy sources is growing. According to experts, the share of clean energy in the total volume of the energy market should comprise 6 percent in four years, and 50 percent by 2050. The country reached the first goal of a 3 percent share in 2020. It is also pleasing that the country’s large enterprises invest in this sector for their own consumption, which, of course, will significantly reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere.
“ArcelorMittal promised to reduce emissions by 25 percent in four years, which is such an unbelievable figure, but we will see. Such manufacturing corporations as RG, Kazakhmys, KazMunaiGas, Shell and others begin to actively invest in renewable energy projects. The Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has recently said that Kazakhstan will try to do everything possible to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. That is when a country leaves no carbon footprint in the global civilization at all,” said Arman Kashkinbekov, Board Member of Kazakhstan’s Renewable Energy Association.
The concept of environmental culture reflects the position of a person in relation to the nature. It should be instilled, the sooner, the better, experts said.
“People messed up the Pink Lake Kobeituz, they beat seals with sticks. This is also a matter of education, environmental culture and mentality. We will carry out this important work as well within the framework our project,” Kashkinbekov added.
It becomes clear that the fight against environmental problems will be ineffective without enhanced international cooperation. We are part of the world. This holiday of the Mother Earth Day reminds us of the relationship between the planet, its ecosystems and humans.