Aktau becomes first certified EcoPort in Kazakhstan with OSCE assistance

Aktau in Kazakhstan has become the first port in the country to receive the Ports Environmental Assessment System certification and EcoPorts status from the European Sea Ports Organization (ESPO).

The EcoPorts status is a globally approved standard for environmental management of ports and port terminals that recognizes ports working to reduce their negative impact on the environment.

The achievement was celebrated in an awards ceremony on 12 July, attended by the President of the Aktau Port, the First Deputy akim of the Mangystau region, the Chief Manager of the Technical Policy Department of the Kazakh National Railway (KTZ) and representatives from the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities and the Programme Office in Nur-Sultan.

Aktau Port received the certificate after having been part of the OSCE’s project Promoting green ports and connectivity in the Caspian Sea and beyond. The recognition means Aktau port is aligned with leading ports and global best practices for increasing the sustainability of the transport sector.

“We are proud to have supported the Port of Aktau in becoming EcoPorts certified. We believe this is a milestone for the future development of the port and the region”, said Daniel Kroos, Senior Programme Officer at the OSCE Secretariat.

Partnering with the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, the OCEEA is now working to help more ports in the region to achieve green certification and come into alignment with global net-zero ambitions.