Astana joins EU energy saving initiative

Astana has joined a EU energy saving initiative, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the website of the city administration. “Maslikhat (local executive authority) deputies have supported the idea of Astana's joining the EU initiative called Covenant of Mayors – East that calls the global community to rational use of energy resources,” the message states. According to chairman of Kazakhstan National Housing, Public Utilities and Construction Saltanat Rakhimbekova, the coming EXPO-2017 exhibition is finding more and more supporters and international partners who are ready to aid Astana in becoming a capital of energy saving and efficiency. The European Union with its breakthrough initiative Covenant of Mayors – East is one of such partners. “The whole idea of the covenant lays in lowering energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The cities that sign it receive support in their efforts to achievement target indicators. For example, the program includes training of energy managers at the expense of the European Union. Besides, this is a good opportunity for experience exchange between Astana and leading capitals of Europe,” the website cites Rakhimbekova as saying. This agreement comes in very timely with the coming EXPO-2017 exhibition dedicated to the Energy of the Future. It provides Astana with an opportunity to study experience of European countries like Germany or Poland that have succeeded in reorganizing their buildings to decrease energy consumption by 50-60 percent. Covenant of Mayors – East has been supported by 4,600 cities with the cumulative population of around 180 million people. By Baubek Konyrov