Fighting Plastic Is Just the Beginning’: Yulia Yakupbayeva on the Mission of Green Urban.

Yulia Yakupbayeva, the founder of the Green Urban Association, is today at the origins of key environmental initiatives in Kazakhstan. Her experience in government structures, the financial sector, and national projects allows her to view urban development more broadly, connecting economics, ecology, and social aspects. In an interview with Urbanexpert, she spoke about the first results of the Smart Plastic Zone project, the work on green standards for the regions, and the priorities facing Green Urban today.

Yulia Konstantinovna, to start, please tell us a little about the Green Urban Association, how it operates, and what areas it covers?

The Green Urban Association was created as a continuation of the GreenUrban Committee under the National ESG Club. We preserved the same areas in the Association — circular economy, Smart City, sustainable education, sustainable development, tourism and sports, Urban Health.

We also aim to develop green standards and technologies. The project implemented jointly with Coca-Cola is part of our community’s strategy to deliver specific impact projects that have the potential for scaling. Currently, a project on Healthy Living (Densaulyk City) is being prepared, and the project promoting the corporate football league “ESG-LIGA” continues.

Area leaders are currently forming project groups, which will serve as the basis for interaction with businesses, government bodies, and international organizations.

In terms of supporting educational initiatives, in addition to webinars on the GreenUrban agenda, we plan to resume in-person Urban Talks, which were very popular last year.

We are open to partnerships, and we have already signed Memorandums of Cooperation with:
— the Kazakhstan Green Building Council (KazGBC),
— the SRO of Public Catering of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
— the National Association of Cooperatives,
— SEC Almaty,
— the HORECA Made in Puglia srl Association,
— the Association of Commercial Real Estate Market Participants QAZPROPERTY.

Thus, the Association sees its mission as creating an ecosystem that will allow cities and businesses to become more sustainable, comfortable, and environmentally friendly.

What green standards and ESG ratings for regions are you developing with partners, and how will they affect urban development?

The Green Urban Association brings together experts, organizations, and activists striving to make cities more environmentally friendly and comfortable for living. We focus on implementing projects in the areas of green technologies, renewable energy, sustainable construction, sustainable tourism, sustainable education, and the preservation of natural resources.

Last year we were on the jury of the international GreenOffice award. This year, we were approached by the organizers of another similar award, which includes nominations in the areas of Green Campus, Best Social Strategy, and others. As companies participating in such awards note, their horizons broaden significantly, and their awareness of best practices increases.

Also this year, following the Capital Health Forum, we are launching with our partners from the Center for Preventive Medicine a large-scale study on healthy lifestyles across several regions. We named the project Densaulyk City.

Another project is being planned with KazGBC, the developer of Kazakhstan’s green construction standard “Omіr.” For now, I can say that, like Smart Plastic Zone, it will also be a project in the field of circular economy.

How does the Green Urban Association interact with the food service industry on sustainable consumption and plastic reduction?

A Memorandum of Cooperation has been signed between the Green Urban Association and the Food Service Association. We see our partnership in the following areas:
— promoting the introduction of sustainable consumption principles in the restaurant industry, including waste reduction;
— improving sanitary standards and using environmentally friendly packaging and products;
— raising awareness and implementing healthy practices in food service, including reducing sugar, preservatives, and other harmful additives in products;
— developing cooperation with local farmers and suppliers to improve product quality and support the local economy;
— assisting in the development and implementation of standards and certifications aimed at improving sanitary standards and sustainable development in food service;
— training specialists in environmental and energy-efficient management, as well as healthy nutrition for the food service industry;
— supporting projects aimed at developing healthy nutrition and improving citizens’ quality of life through food service.

Thus, this cooperation is planned to go far beyond the area of “smart” plastic. Nevertheless, specifically regarding the Smart Plastic Zone project, there are currently about 10 food service representatives participating, and the number of interested participants is growing.

What do you see as the main achievements of the first stage of the Smart Plastic Zone initiative, launched in cooperation with Coca-Cola Kazakhstan?

The Smart Plastic Zone project is implemented with the support of Coca-Cola Kazakhstan and the Green Urban Association, with GPI-Lab LLP serving as the main executor. Its main goal is to build a network of responsible businesses reducing their plastic footprint and to scale these practices across various industries and regions.

Summing up the first 5 months of the project, its success is evident.

• First, the geography of SPZ has expanded beyond the 3 pilot cities — Almaty, Astana, and Karaganda. Today, Aktobe, North Kazakhstan Region, and Taraz have already joined the project. Requests are coming in from EKR, Akmola Region, and even from neighboring countries. The total area of facilities awarded Smart Plastic Zone status has already surpassed 650,000 m².

• Second, the first leading companies have appeared, receiving the Smart Plastic Zone Gold distinction, demonstrating by example the value of sustainable solutions.

• Third, the composition of participants is very encouraging — today it is about 40 companies from a wide range of economic sectors: educational institutions, offices, the financial sector, hospitality, food service, shopping malls, and even the industrial sector. 

The first analytical reports have been compiled, and a series of webinars has been launched for experience-sharing with companies wishing to adopt green office/green campus practices.

What challenges arise in scaling the Smart Plastic Zone project to other regions of Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries?

In fact, there are not many challenges. The main one is a lack of awareness.

We are a non-profit project, and we do not have a budget for promotion. Nevertheless, we expanded beyond the 3 pilot regions in the very first month.

The questionnaire is completed online, and if a company has its procedures in place, verification can be passed fairly quickly. Today, industrial enterprises are appearing that have decided to check their subsidiaries for compliance with Green Office policies through our project. Thus, what started as an award has already become both a research tool and an assistant in internal standard compliance.

As for foreign countries, entering other markets was not our task this year, but we are testing such opportunities. And I think by the end of the year we will expand the geography further.

The experience of Yulia Yakupbayeva shows that sustainable urban development begins with practical steps — from reducing the anthropological footprint to introducing new standards and partnerships. Through Green Urban initiatives, an ecosystem is being formed that helps cities become more modern, environmentally friendly, and comfortable for life.