Head of CACF joins the High-Level Empowered Board on Green Transition
Dr. Yerlik Karazhan, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Asia Climate Foundation (CACF), has joined the High-Level Empowered Board on Green Transition, established at the initiative of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
ORF is India’s leading independent think tank, with work spanning geopolitics, economics, energy, cybersecurity and global governance. ORF cooperates closely with leading international research institutions and governments, including research centres in Russia, Europe and the United States, and contributes policy recommendations for the G20.
The Board has been established to strengthen international cooperation in climate finance and institutional reforms. The Board is chaired by Mr. N.K. Singh, Co-Convenor of the G20 Independent Expert Group on Strengthening Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).
Members and advisors of the Board include Lord Prof. Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics & Government, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute and Head of the India Observatory at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Professor Stern led the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, which has become one of the most influential reports on climate change since its publication in 2006.
For developing economies, the central challenge is not only to achieve sustainable development objectives, but also to ensure economic growth, strengthen resilience, and secure fair access to finance and technology.
An effective green transition should be based on a balanced approach that includes climate change mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and capacity building, supported by reliable institutional mechanisms and long-term financial solutions.
Accordingly, one of the Board’s key objectives is to advance reforms of international development institutions and financial organisations, with a focus on attracting green investment to countries of the Global South, including through the experience of India and the Middle East.
Dr. Karazhan’s participation in the Board ensures Central Asia’s representation in discussions on the global architecture of climate finance and the green transition.
The inaugural meeting of the Board will take place on 26 June 2026 in London. During the meeting, the Board is expected to define its areas of work, including thematic priorities, an engagement schedule and key expected outcomes for the two-year period.
The Central Asia Climate Foundation is the legal form of the Project Office for Central Asia on Climate Change and Green Energy, established on 22 February 2024 in implementation of the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, announced at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2023.
The main sources of CACF financing are charitable and sponsorship support, grants from international organisations and development institutions, as well as funds received in the course of its statutory activities.
The mission of CACF is to accelerate the climate transition in Central Asia through support for policies, innovation and partnerships.
In accordance with paragraph 24 of the Declaration of the Heads of State of Central Asia “Environmental solidarity of Central Asia”, adopted during the Regional Ecological Summit held from 22 to 24 April in Astana, the Presidents expressed their readiness to cooperate within the framework of the Project office for Central Asia on Climate Change and Green Energy in order to accelerate regional action aimed at supporting the environmental transition in the region.
Further activities of CACF will be aimed at developing the Foundation into a single regional platform capable of bringing together the various dimensions of Central Asia’s climate, environmental and energy agenda.
