OSCE supports study visit to Austria and Switzerland on green technology for Kazakhstan delegation

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana organized a study visit to the Austrian Energy Institute in Vienna, Austria and the Green Technologies Centre Umweltarena in Spreitenbach, Switzerland for a group of three high-level Energy Ministry officials and one civil society expert to familiarize with the operations of green technologies centres from 21 to 23 November 2016.

The visit addressed the issues associated with the plan to create a Green Technologies Transfer Centre in Astana in 2017 as a follow-up activity to Expo-2017.

During the visit, the delegates were acquainted with the operations of similar centres in Austria and Switzerland, including the concept, mandate, operation and outreach capacity in the area of energy efficiency and green construction technologies transfer.

Kazakhstan’s delegation also held bilateral meetings with representatives of the forthcoming Austrian OSCE Chairmanship and the OSCE Coordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities where they discussed the upcoming second preparatory meeting to the 25th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum scheduled to take place in Astana on 15-16 June 2017.

The study visit is part of the Office’s long-term efforts to promote sustainable development with a focus on energy efficiency practices and promoting green growth policies in the host country.