Promoting Green Growth in Kyrgyz Republic

Overview & Synopsis

Climate change will lead to new risks and cause a range of damages to countries already dealing with multiple development challenges. Economies will have to green their growth strategies to reposition themselves in the global economy to adapt to climate damages and mitigate risks, shocks and stressors while taking advantage of a carbon-constrained world to tap new sources of productivity, growth, and poverty reduction. Green Growth has been embraced by the Kyrgyz Republic and features prominently in recent development plans and strategies. While the current model of growth is not sustainable, Kyrgyz Republic envisages a strategy for growth, development and prosperity which is “inextricably linked with the preservation of Kyrgyz Republic as a country of snow-white peaks and emerald lakes” (Kyrgyz Republic, 2018). This chapter will examine the economic context of Kyrgyz Republic, the economic impacts of climate change and present economic opportunities from a greener production and export model with practical policy recommendations on how to achieve this. In addition to creating an enabling environment for green growth through mainstreaming, institutional and market-based mechanisms, much of which are already in place, policies should promote energy efficiency, economic diversification, and natural preservation.