Kazakhstan is a net exporter of food products, especially wheat. However, food production systems put serious stress on ecosystems and natural resources (Targets 12.2, 14, 15).

While generally water stress in Kazakhstan is lower than in some neighbouring Central Asia countries, much of the country's water resources go to agriculture (63%). Climate change will put a serious stress on food production systems through changing water flows. It will require adaptation to new conditions (Targets 13.2, 13.3).

Regional cooperation (Targets 17.10, 17.11) could be a key to increased value added of agricultural products and reduced pressure on natural resources, and to ensure women’s full participation in agricultural practices and climate action (Target 5.5).

In the age of rapid economic and social changes, ensuring relevant skills (Target 4.4) for youth is a crucial accelerator for the whole SDG agenda, as it can accelerate economic growth and make it more resilient. Kazakhstan had a high 15.8 expected years of schooling in 2021. However, the quality of education and equal access remain concerns. In the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, students in Kazakhstan scored lower than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average in reading (387 vs 487), maths (423 vs 489) and science (397 vs 489). An analysis shows the significant isolation of disadvantaged students from high performing students.

Addressing evident differences (Target 10.1) in education (see PISA 2018) the PISA study notes that expanding options for boys and girls will contribute to women’s empowerment (Target 5.5). Sustainable urbanization, including transportation services (Targets 11.1, 11.2), and targeted inclusion policies for disadvantaged groups (Targets 1.3, 10.3) will contribute to improving equality of opportunities.

Building future-proof skills improving employability and reducing skills mismatch are essential for achieving sustainable economic growth (Target 8) and reducing poverty (Target 1). This will promote equal access to the labour market for women/girls and men and the further empowerment of women to participate into the local labour market (Target 5.5) , including by enhancing their access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and ICT education (Targets 5.5, 5.b).

Access to affordable and sustainable energy is crucial for Kazakhstan’s development. The renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption hovered under 2% in the past decade. Coal represents some 50% of the total energy supply, followed by natural gas (some 30%) and oil (close to 20%). Energy prices do not take into account long-term marginal costs and environmental externalities. Energy efficiency (Target 7.3) deteriorated from 8.6 MJ/GDP* in 2010 to 5.38 in 2015 and remained at that level since then. An energy transition is required for the sustainable future of Kazakhstan’s economy. 

However, an energy transition entails short-term costs. Energy price rises have a negative impact on the most vulnerable segments of the population (Target 10) and must be accompanied by policies to mitigate this impact (Targets 10, 1.3) for Kazakhstan. 

Renewable and clean energy plays a crucial role in achieving health and gender equality outcomes (Targets 3, esp. 3.9; 5, esp. 5.1., 5.2., 5.4., 5.5, 5.a). Sustainable energy sources contribute to mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Target 13), promoting renewable energy, and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy (Target 12). Industrialization (Target 9) will put further demand on ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services, and there will be possible trade-offs  between the availability of energy and the use of renewables (Target 7.2).

SDG 10.4 calls for the adoption of policies to progressively achieve greater equality in Kazakhstan. The size of Kazakhstan and the variety of its socio-economic and environmental conditions are driving forces of inequalities, amplified by the varying availability of infrastructure (Target 9).

Achieving SDG 10.4 has synergetic links with various other SDGs, such as SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), as reducing inequality contributes to poverty eradication, improves health outcomes and advances sustainable economic development. SDG 10.4 is also intrinsically linked with greater gender equality (Targets 5, esp. 5.1, 5.4, 5.5, 5.b) and women’s empowerment.

However, pursuing greater equality may require trade-offs in terms of fiscal adjustments and resource allocations (SDG 17).