Kazakhstan foreign policy in the context of renewable energy

Abstract

Energy transition represents a disruptive innovation to the conventional energy industry. The Republic of Kazakhstan’s ambitious decarbonisation goal of achieving 30 % share of renewable energy in the domestic power generation matrix by 2030, and 50 % by 2050, potentially creates new possibilities across many sectors. This paper aims to examine the prospects of petroleum politics and green diplomacy within the scope of Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy. The research question is: do Kazakhstan’s foreign relations benefit from a rising share of renewable energy in its electric power generation? Green theory is employed as the theoretical framework, providing an alternative to the major traditional legal conceptions of security, state and economy. The findings indicate a fully sustainable foreign policy is highly unlikely without an ecocentric value shift that recognizes the intrinsic value of nature.