Kazakhstan To Promote Green Energy At Expo 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Kazakhstan is committed to promoting and discovering sustainable global energy solutions although it may seem strange for the country to do so considering that it has large fossil fuel reserves, said Expo 2017 Commissioner Rapil Zhoshybayev. Kazakhstan will host Expo 2017, an international exhibition overseen and regulated by the International Exhibitions Bureau, from June to September 2017 in Astana. Kazakhstan has chosen the theme “Future Energy” for the expo. Zhoshybayev said in a statement that although the nation had substantial oil and gas reserves, it has set itself a target of meeting 50 per cent of its energy needs from alternative and renewable sources by 2050. He said energy security was an increasing concern for many countries, with governments worried about how they could meet the needs of their economies and citizens in future decades. "Around the world, too, the damaging impact of climate change is becoming clearer every year, thus, increasing fears about the legacy we are leaving for future generations. "By focusing on how we power our world in a sustainable way, we are playing our part in finding solutions to one of the major challenges of the century. Green energy – affordable, reliable and environmentally sustainable – is at the heart of the answer to how we protect our planet while enabling prosperity to spread," he said. Expo 2017 will be Kazakhstan's first major international-level event; it is also the first time the expo is being held in Central Asia. Zhoshybayev said Expo 2017 has been receiving strong international attention and that to date, 70 countries, including Malaysia, have confirmed their participation. He said his government was confident that participation would exceed 100 countries and organisations by next year. Zhoshybayev is visiting Malaysia next week and he will meet the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water secretary-general in Putrajaya on April 4 to discuss details of Malaysia's participation in Expo 2017. -- BERNAMA