The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has formed a regional investment portfolio in the field of climate and ecology in Central Asia and intends to expand it, Evgeny Vinokurov, Deputy Chairman of the Bank’s Management Board, said at the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 in Astana on April 22.
For 20 years, the Eurasian Development Bank has been supporting sustainable development in the region. Over the past seven years, the Bank’s “green” portfolio has tripled and reached US $2 billion, with about half of the funds allocated to renewable energy projects. Since 2015, the EDB has invested more than US $1 billion in the creation of about 1.2 GW of RES capacity.
Vinokurov noted that the demand for electricity in the region is expected to grow by 40% by 2030, while a significant part of the infrastructure is already resource-exhausted. In these circumstances, the Bank offers a “middle course” for the energy transition, which will combine RES development, modernization of thermal generation, use of gas as a balancing source, recognition of the nuclear energy role, network infrastructure development, and fair transition for various industries.
The Water and Energy Complex of Central Asia initiative remains the key area of activity, with investments already exceeding US $750 million.
The EDB is also implementing a $5.3 million grant project jointly with Kazakhstan’s Water Ministry and the UN Development Programme; the project is aimed at creating an ecosystem for sustainable irrigation and building a regional cluster for the production of irrigation equipment.
“The implementation of large-scale green projects requires coordination of effort by governments, international financial institutions and climate funds. Capital–intensive projects in clean energy and sustainable water resources management are among the key areas of focus. Joint preparation of projects makes it possible to ensure the right scope and upscale it at the regional level,” said Vinokurov.
