ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the book. The book analyses the implications of the global shift to cleaner energy for a country whose economy has centred on hydrocarbon exports. It provides a comprehensive review of the historical and institutional background and of the current energy situation in Kazakhstan with respect to both fossil energy and renewable resources. The book also analyses policy drivers for the energy sector, and the technical, social, political and economic contexts in which future developments will occur. It provides evidence of global best practice with respect to renewables and its applicability to Kazakhstan. The book also stresses that clean energy covers a variety of renewables, as well as cleaner use of hydrocarbons, and that future technological change will affect the relative attractiveness of the various choices. It investigates the issues related to Kazakhstan's energy sector, and includes a mixture of contributions from different disciplinary perspectives.
