The Eurasian Carbon Project is deepening its cooperation with Kazakhstan as the country moves forward with national efforts to integrate carbon farming into its climate and land-use strategies.

Astana, Kazakhstan – March 19, 2025

A high-level meeting in Astana between Alexey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre and a core team member of the Eurasian Carbon Project, and Murat Temirzhanov, Chairman of the Committee for Land Resource Management under the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted shared priorities and laid the groundwork for expanded collaboration.

As Kazakhstan pursues its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, carbon farming is emerging as a key tool to restore degraded land, increase carbon sequestration, and support rural development. Joining forces between international experts and the national Kazakhstani community -- through strengthened institutional ties and technical dialogue -- is now seen as essential to realizing this potential at scale.

The Eurasian Carbon Project, a multi-partner platform where IIASA is a core member through its Advancing Systems Analysis Program, has played a catalytic role in shaping strategic conversations around land-based climate solutions in the region. In 2023, the Project, in collaboration with IIASA, the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre and the TALAP Center for Applied Research, released the report “Carbon Farming in Kazakhstan: Unlocking Potential”. The study has helped inform national-level planning and continues to serve as a reference for science-based policy development.

“Kazakhstan is showing strong readiness to scale carbon farming within a national strategy,” said Ivanov. “This growing cooperation—with IIASA and other partners—creates the scientific and institutional foundation needed to move from vision to action.”

Temirzhanov reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s interest in structured collaboration to explore viable implementation models, pilot activities, and capacity-building frameworks.

As momentum builds, the Eurasian Carbon Project will continue working closely with Kazakhstani institutions and IIASA to ensure that carbon farming contributes meaningfully to the country’s climate commitments and sustainable development goals.

For more information, visit www.eurasiancarbon.com.

Alexey Ivanov and Murat Temirzhanov in Astana. © BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre

Alexey Ivanov and Murat Temirzhanov in Astana.

Alexey Ivanov and Murat Temirzhanov in discussion. © BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre

Alexey Ivanov and Murat Temirzhanov in discussion.

News

Group photo of participants at the COP17 side event in Mongolia

22 September 2026

IIASA at UNCCD COP17: Advancing land restoration and resilience

Building on its engagement at the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh, IIASA contributed to a series of events and bilateral discussions at UNCCD COP17, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, towards the end of August. Under the theme, Restoring Land, Restoring Hope, COP17 advanced action on land degradation, drought resilience, and sustainable land management, with particular emphasis on rangelands and pastoral livelihoods.
IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber

30 April 2026

IIASA Director General engages at Regional Ecological Summit in Kazakhstan

In April, IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber, visited Kazakhstan at the invitation of Yerlan Nyssanbayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, to participate in the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES 2026).
Diriyah Old city in Night in the dark , Al Bujairi , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia

12 December 2024

Carbon Farming in the Dryland Belt of Northern Eurasia: Unlocking Win-Win Opportunities at COP16

The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) underscored Kazakhstan’s leadership in sustainable land management during the side event titled “Carbon Farming in the Dry Land Belt of Northern Eurasia: Unlocking Win-Win Opportunities.” This session, co-organized by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre, explored how innovative carbon farming practices can combat land degradation, mitigate climate change, and foster socio-economic development.