In 2026 Kazakhstan's carbon market got new rules. For companies this means more room to generate carbon units, along with stricter data requirements.
New rules from 10 August 2026
On 10 August 2026, rules on greenhouse gas emissions and removals took effect. They cover project validation and verification, monitoring, authorisation, baseline setting and the procedure for transferring verified reductions abroad.
5.2 million hectares for projects
The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources set aside about 5.2 million hectares of non-forested land from the state forest fund for carbon projects. The main directions are afforestation, restoration of degraded land, agriculture and energy efficiency.
The domestic market and Article 6
Kazakhstan has run an emissions trading system since 2013, and companies can use offset units from domestic projects. The country is now preparing for international trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Project approval does not automatically allow units to be sold abroad: verification and separate government approval are required.
National targets
Kazakhstan plans to cut net emissions by 17% from 1990 levels by 2035 (25% with international support) and to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.
What it means for companies
Every carbon unit now has to rest on verifiable monitoring data. For forest projects that means regular imaging of the site, measured carbon stock and an audit trail the verifier can follow. The earlier a project sets up its MRV, the easier verification and access to international markets become.