Astana Green Bridge initiative discussed in the US

WASHINGTON. May 8. KAZINFORM During his visit to the U.S. from April 30 - May 1, Minister of Environment Nurlan Kapparov met with Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman and other senior officials from the State Department,

the World Bank, the Environmental Protection Agency and USAID, as well as representatives of think tanks and environmental NGOs such as Brookings Institution, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Solar Energy Industries Association, The Alliance to Save Energy and executives of US corporations, the News Bulletin of the Kazakh Embassy to the US reads.

 At his meetings, Minister Kapparov discussed Astana's Green Bridge initiative, which the Kazakh  elegation plans to present at the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) in Rio de Janeiro this summer, and let his counterparts know that Kazakhstan is considering participation in the Low-Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) and Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) programs. The Minister was particularly interested in the US' experiences in waste management and sustainable development programs. He also discussed Kazakhstan's plans to explore the production of shale gas, based on the American example.