To develop Central Asia’s green energy capacity, there is the question of addressing the region as either a collective group or as independent states. To respond to this, Norrington believes that the EU needs to develop a cogent plan to ‘green’ these states that is relevant to how these states understand their role in the region. She added that although the EU has maintained a three-decade relationship with Central Asia, the understanding of Central Asia in the EU is that it is a ‘brittle space.’ In addition to understanding Central Asian states' particular needs, the EU must also understand the significant financial scope that the transition necessitates and be willing to support long-term and pricey engagement with the region.
Similarly, the Central Asian states need to make substantial investments domestically and regionally. The state governments must promote government intervention, particularly in the emerging economies of the region. Thus, collaboration between the public and private sectors is crucial to green energy financing. Central Asia’s leaders must also seek to educate their populaces on the impacts of climate change in the region and likewise, promote green energy alternatives to fossil fuels to their citizens. Engaging with grassroots stakeholders and formulating inclusive policies are imperative for a successful energy transition.
Outside of these recommendations, Norrington discussed Central Asia’s natural resource and energy potential that could be realized with proper investments. The region possesses substantial natural resources. For example, Turkmenistan boasts the sixth-largest reserves of natural gas globally. However, aging infrastructure and inefficiencies in resource extraction pose significant hurdles for all the countries in the region. Norrington believes that these states should explore alternative sources, like geothermal energy in Kazakhstan, of which the country maintains a great energy potential. In describing each state’s efforts at implementing green energy projects, Kazakhstan emerges as a frontrunner in the region's green energy transition, with measured progress. Uzbekistan shows promising momentum, while Turkmenistan's plans are yet to materialize. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are taking initial steps but lag behind their counterparts.
Norrington demonstrated that the transition to green energy in Central Asia is a complex undertaking that demands both top-down and grassroots support in addition to political capital and financing. With approximately 1-1.5% of the states’ energy currently derived from renewables, Central Asian states must ensure that smaller renewable initiatives are not disadvantaged by a lack of useful government policies and limited political will to initiate a green energy shift. The EU and other foreign actors in the region must also understand the particularities and needs of the states they are cooperating with.
