Second Meeting of Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States Responsible for Environmental Protection and Ecology

The Second Meeting of Ministers of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States on environmental protection and ecology was held in Astana. The meeting was attended by representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, the Secretary General of the OTS Kubanychbek Omuraliev, as well as OTS observers.

The countries face common ecological challenges, including climate change, reduction of water resources, land degradation, declining levels of the Caspian Sea, and the consequences of the drying of the Aral Sea. Under these conditions, it is particularly important to strengthen practical cooperation and coordinate our actions.

“We must join efforts for the well-being of our peoples and the preservation of natural heritage for future generations. Of particular importance in this context is the ‘Green Vision of the Turkic World,’ which reflects our shared commitment to sustainable development, green transformation, and adaptation to climate change,” said the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Nysanbayev, in his opening remarks.

Kazakhstan proposes to focus joint work on several priority areas.

The first area is the conservation of biodiversity. Rare and endangered species inhabit the territories of our countries, and their protection requires coordinated actions.

Yesterday, the Regional Declaration on Cooperation of Central Asian Countries in the Field of Conservation and Sustainable Management of Biodiversity — “Harmony with Nature for the Benefit of Sustainable Development of the Region” — was signed. Kazakhstan invited Azerbaijan and Türkiye to join this initiative. In March of this year, Kazakhstan approved the Concept for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity for 2026–2035 and is ready to share its experience and best practices.

All our countries are implementing important initiatives for afforestation and ecosystem restoration. In Kazakhstan, under the instruction of the Head of State, work is ongoing to plant 2 billion trees by 2027. Since 2021, more than 1 billion 648 million trees have already been planted and sown in the country. At the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, proposed declaring April 22 as the International Day of Planetary Greening.

Kazakhstan consistently supports international efforts to combat climate change and to undertake joint actions in this area. Within the framework of the Paris Agreement, our country has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The updated nationally determined contribution предусматривает increasing ambition to a 17% reduction in emissions by 2035.

“The development of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan and the Roadmap for the implementation of the Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2060 is at an active stage. This strategy unites the efforts of all sectors of the economy for the transition to low-carbon development. We believe that the exchange of experience among OTS member states can make an important contribution to preparations for the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), which will be held in 2026 in Türkiye,” the Minister noted.

The fourth area is sustainable waste management. Kazakhstan attaches great importance to environmental pollution caused by waste, including plastic.

“At the end of 2025, the Concept for the Management of All Types of Waste for 2026–2030 was approved, aimed at transitioning to a modern circular model in which waste is considered a resource. We are open to exchanging experience and are interested in developing practical cooperation in this area,” said Yerlan Nysanbayev.

Following the meeting, the Declaration of the Ministers of Ecology of the OTS countries was signed.