The Research and Education Center “Green Academy”, jointly with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan and with the support of the British Embassy in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the University of Central Asia and the Caravan of Knowledge Foundation, held the Expert Dialogue “The Potential of Digital Technologies and AI for Climate Change Adaptation” on 17 September 2026 at Astana Hub in the city of Astana. The event took place in the run-up to the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The objective of the Expert Dialogue was to discuss the potential of applying AI and digital technologies to the decarbonisation of production, to improving the quality of climate data and to Kazakhstan’s integration into the global carbon market.
Welcome remarks were delivered by Mr Nurlan Kurmalayev, Vice-Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Mrs Sally Axworthy MBE, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan.
The sessions were moderated by Dr Aliya Sembayeva, National Coordinator of the Horizon Europe Programme in Kazakhstan, CEO Advisor, Astana Hub.
The speakers and experts were:
• Prof. Eran Edirisinghe, Dean of Research, University of Central Asia (AI (Digital) Innovation Hub: approaches and functions);
• Mr Amanat Umbetbayev, Managing Director – Member of the Board, JSC “National Company “Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary” (Digital monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas sector);
• Dr Seitgali Galiyev, D.A. Kunayev Institute of Mining, Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Development of an AI (digital) monitoring system for assessing ESG potential in the mining industry);
• Mr Nurbakhyt Abdrassilov, Deputy Chairman of the Board for Digitalisation and Analytics, NJSC “Information and Analytical Centre for Water Resources”, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Digital ecosystem for water resources management);
• Mr Perumal Arumugam, Manager, Markets and Non-Markets Support and Stakeholder Interaction, Mitigation Division, UNFCCC secretariat (The role of Article 6.8 in achieving national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement);
• Dr Bakhyt Yessekina, Member of the Council for the Transition to a Green Economy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Director of the “Green Academy” REC (Establishing a Digital Climate Hub for greenhouse gas certification in Central Asia);
• Ms Peline Atamer, Senior Policy Analyst and Head of the Sustainable Infrastructure and Green Growth Unit, Eurasia Division, OECD, online (OECD experience in AI and digital infrastructure for climate change adaptation);
• Dr Aidar Kazybayev, President of ESG Global Partnership (Climate digital platform for greenhouse gas auctions in Central Asia);
• Mr Aibolat Abitbekov, Deputy Executive Director of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) (The role of scientific data and international research networks in the development of climate technologies);
• Mr Gaston Maya Melo-Felgueres, ICT and Development Section, IDD Division, ESCAP, online (ASEAN cooperation on the use of AI to combat air pollution);
• Dr Peter Liebelt, Head of the Central Asia Sustainable Innovation Bureau (CASIB), online (Developing international partnership in AI and digital technology research: policy and prospects for cooperation).
The Expert Dialogue was attended by heads and representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the Ministry of Industry and Construction, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, KazStandard, the Atomic Energy Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana Hub, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken”, the ECOJER Association, the British Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan, UNDP, ESCAP, ISTC, the Green Transition project and other organisations, as well as international and national experts and faculty members and students of Qazaq AI Research University (QAIRU).
In the course of the discussion, recommendations were adopted on improving the digital monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions and on the establishment of a Digital Climate Hub on the Astana Hub platform for the implementation of projects under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
In total, more than 80 participants attended in a hybrid format.
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