Closed

Kazakhstan - Establishing a Financing Facility for SLCP Mitigation in Waste Sector

by CCAC - 8 July, 2025

Overview

This project responds to a request made by the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan to support the design and piloting of a national financing facility dedicated to short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) mitigation in the waste sector. Despite available funding sources such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, Emissions Trading System (ETS) revenues, and potential Article 6 carbon finance, investments in SLCP-reducing waste projects (e.g., methane capture, landfill gas-to-energy, composting) remain limited.

The proposed project will deliver a structured approach to evaluate Kazakhstan’s SLCP mitigation potential in the waste sector and establish a blended finance mechanism to unlock public and private capital. This project will also identify regulatory and policy barriers, explore institutional options, and develop a roadmap to scale investment through supportive policy action.

This project should align with and contribute to the implementation of the following policies:

It will help operationalize SLCP priorities under the Global Methane Pledge and foster synergies with the ETS and EPR systems.

This project will build on the ongoing CCAC-supported project: Kazakhstan - Develop a national SLCP plan to mainstream SLCP mitigation into existing policy and methane roadmap, which focuses on MRV systems and a national methane strategy aligned with NDC 3.0; and further aligned with activities by development institutions including the Kazakhstan Wastewater Biogas Recovery Initiative, the Central Asian Capacity Building for Methane Emission Reduction, Bilim Barine’s Educational Program on Methane Reduction and Biogas, IFC’s Technological Solutions for Methane Emission Reduction, and the SECCA Methane Emissions Analysis (2023).

Who to involve

Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Zhasyl Damu
Local municipalities and waste management authorities
Private sector investors
Industries under Emissions Trading System (ETS)
Development banks (national and international)
Carbon market stakeholders (buyers and traders under Article 6)
Development finance institutions and international climate funds

Expected results

Outcome 1: The Government of Kazakhstan adopts the recommendations of the national financial landscape assessment to guide SLCP investment planning by the end of the project.

Indicator: Amount of external funding (“catalysed funding”) for SLCP actions

Output 1.1: Financial landscape assessment report identifying available and potential funding sources (e.g., EPR, ETS, Article 6) for SLCP mitigation in the waste sector.
Output 1.2: SLCP mitigation potential analysis, including prioritization of investment-ready technologies and interventions
Output 1.3: Stakeholder engagement report summarizing private sector, municipal, and investor perspectives on financing needs and market conditions.

Outcome 2: The Government of Kazakhstan is ready to pilot a blended finance mechanism to support SLCP mitigation in the waste sector by the end of the project or soon after.

Indicator: Amount of co-funding secured to support SLCP projects

Output 2.1: Governance model and operational structure for a national SLCP financing facility.
Output 2.2: Implementation framework to integrate funding from EPR, ETS, and international carbon finance instruments.
Output 2.3: Investment pipeline and business model for public-private co-financing of methane mitigation solutions.
Output 2.4: Recommendations for institutional coordination and operational oversight of SLCP financing mechanisms developed and validated.

Outcome 3: The Government of Kazakhstan demonstrates improved capacity to design and manage SLCP financing instruments by the end of the project.

Indicator: Number of government entities with a demonstrated improved capacity for SLCP action

Output 3.1: Needs assessment to identify technical assistance requirements for SLCP investment design and implementation, covering municipal authorities, project developers, and relevant public and private stakeholders to inform tailored support measures for structuring and scaling SLCP-aligned investments.
Output 3.2: Capacity-building workshops for relevant government bodies, financial institutions, and regulators on designing SLCP-aligned financing instruments, focusing on integrating SLCP mitigation into project pipelines, accessing climate finance, and aligning with national climate goals.
Output 3.3: Targeted technical assistance for municipal authorities and project developers on structuring and scaling SLCP investments, based on findings from the needs assessment (Output 3.1), including hands-on support for preparing bankable project proposals, developing public-private partnerships, and leveraging blended finance.

Outcome 4: The Government of Kazakhstan endorses a national roadmap to scale SLCP mitigation finance in the waste sector by the end of the project.

Indicator: Number of action plans, roadmaps, strategies, or other future plans with SLCP targets or mitigation measures formally adopted, endorsed and/or implemented

Output 4.1: Feasibility study and risk assessment of the pilot finance mechanism, identifying priority investment opportunities.
Output 4.2: National roadmap for scaling SLCP mitigation finance in the waste sector finalized and endorsed by relevant ministries.
Output 4.3: Policy brief with regulatory and financial recommendations disseminated to integrate SLCP financing into Kazakhstan’s broader climate strategies.

APPLICATION PROCESs

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for consideration, project proposals must meet the following requirements:

Complete and submitted before the deadline
Submitted by a non-governmental organization (NGO), intergovernmental organization (IGO), or other not-for-profit entity.
Requested funding is within the estimated budget amount, or includes a clear justification for additional expenses
Project duration is less than 24 months
Budget criteria are met and spending caps on expenses are respected.
Please note that entities will be required to provide the last three (3) audited financial statements to be eligible for CCAC funding. These statements may be provided along with the application for funding or at the request of the CCAC Secretariat during the evaluation process.

For-profit entities may only participate in the project as stakeholders, co-funders, or end users. Applicants are encouraged to include for-profit entities in the development of the project proposal and/or during project implementation if their ownership of the proposed solution is key to the project’s success.

How to apply

Eligible applicants are invited to apply using the Application Form and Excel Budget Form. Specific instructions on completing these forms are available in both documents.

Applicants may choose to follow the cost range proposed above OR propose a different budget supported by a clear justification. However, applicants should note that cost efficiency will play a significant role in the selection process.

The completed Application Form and Excel Budget Form should be submitted to secretariat [at] ccacoalition.org.

Evaluation criteria

Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

Presents a clear plan to achieve the required outcomes during the lifetime of the project or soon after
Includes a plan or activities to enable the scaling up of, replication of, or sustained use of project results over time
Sets out a clear approach for enabling or contributing to SLCP emissions reductions and resulting co-benefits
Involves relevant stakeholders
Approach is grounded in a strong understanding of relevant risks
Complements other relevant initiatives, funding mechanisms, and existing policy processes
Applicant demonstrates necessary capacity and experience to perform the work
A realistic, cost-effective, and clearly justified budget and approach is proposed
Project meets the minimum requirements for the OECD DAC gender equality marker Score 1

Selection process
A preliminary review of proposals submitted by the deadline will be conducted by members of the CCAC Secretariat, Funding Task Team, and Board, in consultation with relevant CCAC Partners.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present their proposals in further detail and to respond to follow-up questions about their application.
Successful applicants will be invited to develop a Project Implementation Plan and Detailed Budget in consultation with the CCAC Secretariat and relevant CCAC Partners.
The selection process may take up to 6 months after the closing date of the call for proposals. Due to the high volume of requests, the CCAC will not respond to requests for updates or feedback during this time.

Due diligence and procurement

Due diligence

CCAC implementers with UNEP contractual agreements must meet with the following requirements:

Have adequate financial resources to perform the contract and meet all existing commitments (financial health)
Be able to provide proof of registration, proof of not-for-profit status and audited financial statements for the last three completed fiscal years
Have a record of satisfactory performance with UNEP/CCAC, when applicable; and - Not have been suspended or debarred by UNEP/CCAC or another UN agency. UNEP/CCAC also considers entities included in the Security Council Resolution Lists to be ineligible for UNEP/CCAC agreements.
* (inter)governmental entities/ United Nations are exempt from this requirement

Contract requirements

If selected for funding, your project will be contracted through the United Nations. Organisation(s) selected to implement the project must meet the following due diligence and procurement rules.

Procurement

As a general rule, Implementation Agreements allow for incidental procurement only.