Kazakhstan Approves 24 Sectoral Reference Documents on Best Available Techniques: IGTIC Continues Labors for Eco-Modernization of Industry

Kazakhstan has developed and approved 24 sectoral reference documents on Best Available Techniques (BAT), covering key industrial areas of the country, including power engineering, mining and metallurgy, chemical production, and other economic sectors. In 2026, the reference documents underwent a re-approval procedure in accordance with updated environmental legislation requirements.

The Bureau on Best Available Techniques under NJSC “International Green Technologies and Investment Projects Center” (IGTIC) is responsible for developing the BAT system, improving the sectoral methodical framework, and supporting industrial enterprises transitioning to modern environmental standards.

The reference documents are developed and updated considering the specific features of Kazakhstani industry, international experience, and technical capabilities of the enterprises. Technical working groups—which bring together representatives of state authorities, industrial enterprises, research organizations, and the expert community—play a crucial role in this process.

One of the essential stages in transitioning to BAT is conducting a comprehensive technological audit (CTA). It enables an assessment of the current state of production processes, equipment used, efficiency of raw material, water, and energy consumption, as well as the identification of the main sources of environmental impact.

As part of the audit, experts examine the technical flowcharts of enterprises, analyze the generation of emissions, discharges, and waste, review current environmental measures, and evaluate opportunities to increase the eco- and resource efficiency of production. The results of the CTA form the foundation for developing the BAT reference documents.

BAT reference documents serve as a tool for obtaining integrated environmental permits (IEPs). In accordance with the Environmental Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, obtaining an IEP is mandatory for Category I facilities. The IEP establishes the environmental conditions for an enterprise’s operations, taking into account the applicable BAT requirements. This mechanism facilitates a shift from primarily regulatory control to integrated regulation of industrial environmental impact.

For enterprises, implementing BAT opens opportunities for the systematic upgrading of production capacities, increasing energy efficiency, reducing the consumption of natural resources, and mitigating environmental risks.

To date, the Center is working on the creation of the Central Asian BAT Bureau. This initiative was first presented to the international community at the 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).