On December 19, 2024, the seminar “Development and issuance of green and sustainable bonds: policy, practice, verification” took place in Astana. The event was organized by KPMG Kazakhstan together with the NJCS “International Green Technologies and Investment Projects Center” and the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Regulation and Development of the Financial Market.

The seminar gathered representatives of the banking sector and financial institutions of Kazakhstan interested in mastering green finance instruments. Participants received detailed information on key aspects of green bond issuance, including policy development, external verification process, listing and reporting.

The main topics of the seminar were

– History and development of thematic bonds in Kazakhstan and the world;

– National and international taxonomy of green finance;

– Practical steps to prepare an issuer to issue green bonds;

– Risks of “greenwashing” and ways to minimize them;

– Prospects for the development of green finance in the banking sector of Kazakhstan.

Special attention was paid to the role of the banking sector in promoting sustainable development and the importance of developing effective mechanisms for attracting investments into environmentally friendly projects.

Speakers of the seminar – experts of KPMG Kazakhstan Sustainability Practice Tatiana Miroshnichenko, Renat Saylau and Kamilya Sungat, shared their experience and presented the best global cases of green bond issuance.

The seminar was part of the Readiness initiative to strengthen Kazakhstan’s capacity to attract direct financing from the Green Climate Fund. IGTIC was identified as the National Executive Agency for the Readiness project “Further strengthening Kazakhstan’s programming capacity, institutional support for expanding direct access to the Green Climate Fund and the development of a green finance system” in 2022 by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The project is being implemented jointly with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)