Let me start by thanking today’s organizers – both the development of the energy sector and women empowerment are central questions for the future of our societies. Let us also not forget the aspect of youth engagement – our policies need to involve the ideas and perspectives of young people in order to be truly forward looking.

Climate change is already affecting all of us severely and its effects are being felt especially strongly in Central Asia, with reduced water flows by shrinking the glaciers that feed Central Asian rivers, only one example. It is clear that the green transition has to be a priority focus!

The EU is a global leader in renewable energies and aims to become the first carbon neutral continent by 2050 with the European Green Deal as our growth strategy to boost an efficient use of resources.

We also see the increasing consciousness and ambition in Central Asian countries, for example with our host country Kazakhstan aiming to become carbon-neutral by 2060.

In Central Asia, the 2019 EU Strategy on Central Asia recognizes climate change as one of the main challenges for the region and identifies water and energy as priorities for regional cooperation for Central Asia. We also seek a more ambitious way forward in our engagement through a regional Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate Change.

This TEI brings together EU institutions, Member States and EFIs to strengthen support to regional water governance initiatives, the CA regional power market integration and further promoting green investments. These aims need us to adapt and change:       and women and girls are key agents in this development. Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is vital to build fair, inclusive, prosperous, and peaceful societies.

At the same time, the pursuit of gender equality and climate goals are mutually reinforcing; slow progress on actions for climate change, energy transition and environment affect the achievement of gender equality, and vice versa.

Further to the EU gender equality strategy 2020-2025, the Gender Action Plan III 2021-2025 confirms our commitment to advance equal participation and leadership of women and girls in all areas and sectors and calls for the EU to scale up its contribution to reach the SDG 5 in all internal and external policy areas. For these commitments we need to work together with our international and Central Asian partners, with local communities and with civil society.

To be sustainable and just, a green transition must be diverse and inclusive. Governments everywhere have the opportunity to build greener and more sustainable economies, while tackling structural and systemic gender discrimination, as well as other forms of discrimination and marginalisation.

Women’s under-representation in decision-making fora deprives green transition strategies and plans of the full range of available talent. Their absence hampers the transformational change needed. Addressing climate change and getting the full potential from a sector like energy requires a diverse range of skills. This is why the promotion of girls‘ and women’s rights, participation and leadership in the energy sector is systematically included in all our cooperation programmes. 

At present, the EU has 15 ongoing regional programmes covering the sustainable use of water, energy, environment and the water-food-energy nexus in Central Asia for the total amount of about €100 million, including our flagships water and environment cooperation – WECOOP project and the Central Asia Water and Energy Programme (CAWEP).

To give just one example looking at today’s topic: For 3 consecutive years, through the regional WECOOP project, the EU has provided support to the Green Business School, an educational platform established here at the Kazakh-German University. Every year, the School holds intensive training for young people willing to become environmentally-conscious entrepreneurs in the fields of circular economy, waste management, water saving, sustainable energy, and so on.

Since 2020, 138 young entrepreneurs from all 5 countries of the region took part in the Green Business School training, and more than a half of them are young women entrepreneurs. The EU is committed to continue this important work on empowering girls and women. The energy sector is only one of the areas we are working on in Central Asia.

We understand that this is a long-term engagement, which relies on a firm commitment of all the stakeholders to work towards a gender equal society. However, and above all, is would be impossible to reach this goal without the courage and energy of the girls and women of Central Asia. I would like to commend those who are already playing an active part in the economic and political life of their communities and countries, and I would like to encourage the others to dare. And let me assure you: the European Union is here to support you.

Thank you for your attention and I wish us fruitful discussions.