ASTANA – The Manifesto of Values and Principles, presented Sept. 5 during the EXPO 2017 Future Energy Forum (FEF) at the capital’s Congress Centre, addresses global environmental issues and calls for action.
The manifesto is the concept combining project papers and proposals voiced during the exhibition, according to steering committee head Dr. Rajendra Pachauri.
“The manifesto is the product of the group of experts who constitute the steering committee and the result of various conferences with fine speakers. Now, it’s our offering to the government of Kazakhstan and it is up to them whether to accept what’s been proposed by the manifesto,” he said during a press conference.
Pachauri is the chief mentor of the Protect Our Planet Movement and president of the World Sustainable Development Forum.
“The implementation, I think, will have to be done by the expo’s host country. It is to their glory and credit that there will be a legacy of the exhibition, so we expect that there will be an effort on the part of the leadership of this country to see that the legacy of the expo becomes a reality,” he added.
The document is designed to tackle current global climate issues and help promote alternative energy across the world. It covers key global issues such as transformation to higher efficiency levels, transition to low carbon and zero carbon energy sources, energy for an urbanised world and a call for international cooperation.
During the FEF, experts stressed 50 percent of Kazakhstan’s electricity supply will be generated by renewables by 2050.
According to steering committee members, the manifesto’s project papers are aimed at becoming the road map to spread the most thought-provoking ideas and projects showcased during the expo.
“The manifesto is the result of the brainstorm sessions that have taken place during the three months of the exhibition,” said Dr. Kanat Baigarin, vice president for innovation and research at Nazarbayev University and a member of the steering committee.
The project papers include topics and proposals such as a global future energy institute, post-expo green fund for a sustainable future (a project of the Astana International Financial Centre), access to energy for all including off-grid solutions for rural areas, values and principles for a new GDP standard and solar power to Kazakhstan’s high-profile municipal buildings.
