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Cooperation with the Maslikhats

The study visit by a delegation from Aktobe to Berlin represented a practical continuation of the systematic cooperation between the Fund for the Development of Parliamentarism in Kazakhstan (Astana, Kazakhstan), a partner of the EU project ENABLE, and Kazakhstan’s local representative bodies – the Maslikhats (elected municipal or regional parliaments).

Cooperation with the Maslikhats is a key component of the activities of the EU project “ENABLE – Empowered Civil Society for a Sustainable and Efficient City”. This is because issues relating to housing and municipal services, energy efficiency, the modernisation of apartment blocks and citizen participation are directly linked to decisions taken at local level.

At the end of 2025, the Chair of the Maslikhat of the city of Aktobe, Anar Darzhanova, approached the “Eastern Europe Housing Initiative” (IWO) with a proposal to organise a working visit by a Kazakh delegation to Germany. The aim was to gather experience in the areas of energy efficiency in buildings, the modernisation of the housing stock, and the improvement of service quality in the housing and municipal sectors.

What the delegation learnt in Berlin

From 11 to 15 May 2026, a delegation from the city of Aktobe visited Berlin. The delegation included representatives of the Maslikhat and the Akimat (city administration) of Aktobe, as well as experts from the construction sector.

The visit and training programme, developed by the Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe (IWO e.V.), focused on the energy-efficient modernisation of the existing stock of multi-family houses. The programme centred on professional exchange and the sharing of practical experience and proven approaches from Germany.

Experts from the German Energy Agency (dena) provided a comprehensive insight into the German approach to decarbonising the housing stock. Topics covered in the presentations included the energy transition, funding programmes, practical examples of building renovation, quality assurance for renovation measures, and the role of energy consultants in the renovation process. The Kazakh participants showed particular interest in dena’s international experience, especially its projects in China.

Representatives from Gewobag, municipal housing association, guided the delegation through the Berlin housing estate ‘Buckower Höfe’. During the thematic excursion, concrete solutions for the energy-efficient modernisation of 1970s apartment blocks were presented. In addition, the participants gained insights into measures for adding storeys to existing buildings, constructing new housing, renewing technical infrastructure, and designing outdoor facilities.

The next day of the programme was dedicated to the Berlin district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf – Germany’s largest contiguous prefabricated housing estate. There, participants gained insights into strategic approaches and practical experiences regarding the development and modernisation of large housing estates. Representatives from the Kompetenzzentrum Großsiedlungen e.V. (Competence Centre for Large Housing Estates) presented measures and instruments of urban energy modernisation policy that have been developed and implemented over the past 30 years.

The IWO also presented the experiences of the Baltic states in modernising housing stock in industrialised urban areas. Particular attention was paid to the pilot projects supported by the IWO, as well as the establishment of support structures for homeowners based on the so-called ‘one-stop-shop’ principle. This approach guides owners through the entire modernisation process – from the initial consultation and energy audit, through project preparation and the identification of financing options, to collaboration with contractors and quality assurance of the measures carried out. The aim is to facilitate the planning and implementation of energy-efficient renovations and to provide owners with expert support at every stage of the process.

Another key component of the programme was an examination of the system of vocational education and training in the construction industry. Representatives from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) and the Oberstufenzentrum Bautechnik I in Berlin provided information on the organisation of vocational training in Germany and the qualification of skilled workers required for high-quality and energy-efficient modernisation of the building stock.

To conclude the working visit to Berlin, the Kazakh experts were introduced to the concept of serial refurbishment of multi-family dwellings (Energiesprong). The introduction to this innovative concept by the IWO was complemented by an excursion to Ludwigsfelde to visit the pilot building. A five-storey residential block (prefabricated construction) was serially renovated by the housing association ‘Märkische Heimat’ in collaboration with the full-service provider Seeria Renova. The participants gained insights into the practical implementation of serial renovation solutions, which enable a significant acceleration of energy-efficiency modernisation while maintaining high-quality workmanship.

From learning to action

Anara Darzhanova, Chair of the Aktobe City Council, explained: “This trip has not only given us an insight into the technical aspects of energy-efficient building refurbishment, but has also provided a deeper understanding of how the refurbishment process itself is organised. The participants engaged in intensive discussions about the obstacles in our country that stand in the way of large-scale modernisation of apartment blocks – legislative, financial, social and others – as well as ways to overcome them. Upon our return to Kazakhstan, we intend to continue the discussion on the modernisation of Aktobe’s housing stock and to explore opportunities for implementing pilot projects for the energy-efficient modernisation of apartment blocks, in order to put the lessons learnt in Berlin into practice in our city.”

 

Abai Saktaganov, a member of the city council, supported the position of the Chair of the Aktobe City Council: “For us, this trip was an important practical experience! We have seen that the energy-efficient modernisation of housing is not just a question of technology or building renovation, but also a question of proper process organisation, cooperation with residents, transparency in decision-making and the responsibility of local authorities. I support Anara Darzhanova’s position: the experience gained must be used to discuss specific pilot projects in the city of Aktobe.”

 

Estay Sisenbaev, a member of the regional parliament, emphasised the importance of the experience gained for the entire Aktobe region: “The experience from Berlin has shown how important it is to view the modernisation of the housing stock as a collaboration between local representatives, executive bodies, experts, homeowners and civil society. We thank the organisers for the opportunity to learn about such approaches in practice. I agree that the next step should be to discuss the possibilities for applying this experience in the Aktobe region, including through pilot projects for the energy-efficient modernisation of apartment blocks.”

Thus, the study trip to Berlin was not only an opportunity to learn about German experiences, but also a first step towards drawing up a concrete action plan for the city of Aktobe.

The second step could be to discuss pilot projects for the energy-efficient modernisation of apartment blocks, involving the Maslikhat of the city of Aktobe, the Akimat, representatives of homeowners, the construction sector, experts and civil society organisations.

Such a dialogue could help to adapt the experiences gained in Berlin to local conditions and set in motion concrete measures for the sustainable modernisation of the housing stock in Aktobe.

Continuation of the dialogue in Berlin

The study tour was followed by further specialist events from 17 to 21 May, organised by the German Energy Agency (dena) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) as part of the ‘Energy Dialogue between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Federal Republic of Germany’. The events were aimed at representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as experts from the construction industry and the housing and utilities sector.

Representatives of the study tour organised by the IWO also took part in the dena and GIZ programme items: the Chair of the Maslikhat of the city of Aktobe, Anar Darzhanova, and the President of the Fund for the Development of Parliamentarism in Kazakhstan, Zauresh Batalova.

The aim of their participation was to continue the professional exchange on the energy-efficient modernisation of the housing stock and to discuss the legal, financial and institutional framework conditions for implementing comprehensive modernisation programmes in Kazakhstan’s cities. The focus was on issues of policy governance, financing, institutional cooperation and the development of suitable support instruments for owners of residential buildings.

Practical significance for ENABLE

The study visit to Berlin was one of the tools used to strengthen the capacities of the Kazakh participants in the ENABLE project. It made it possible to combine international experience, the local needs of the city of Aktobe and the overarching goal – strengthening the role of civil society and local authorities in decision-making on issues relating to sustainable housing management.

More broadly, the experience of cooperation between the Fund for the Development of Parliamentarism in Kazakhstan and the Maslikhats demonstrates that the sustainability of the ENABLE project depends not only on specialist materials and international exchange, but also on the ability to embed new approaches in real institutional practice at the local level.

Cooperation with the Maslikhats, including the Maslikhat of the city of Aktobe, is therefore one of the key factors for the long-term impact of the ENABLE project. It enables international experience and technical recommendations to be put into practice within local representative government, facilitates the discussion of pilot projects, and drives forward the energy-efficient modernisation of the housing stock in Kazakhstan.

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IWO and partners at the WUF 13 in Baku. Photos: IWO e.V.

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During the workshop. Copyright: GIZ.

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Larissa Schreckenbach, NGO “Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe (IWO)”, Berlin, Germany

Zauresh Battalova, Public Foundation “Fund for the Development of Parliamentarism in Kazakhstan”, Astana, Kazakhstan

From maintenance to comprehensive modernisation: comfort, energy efficiency and sustainability

left: apartment building in Kazakhstan; right: simulation of a comprehensively modernised apartment building

As part of the national project ‘Modernisation of the Energy and Utilities Sector’ (MEU) for the period 2025–2029, Kazakhstan is placing great emphasis on expanding energy capacity and upgrading the infrastructure of centralised heating, electricity and water supply systems. Billions are being invested in the construction of new energy facilities, the modernisation of district heating networks and the expansion of municipal infrastructure.

These measures are crucial for improving security of supply and reducing wear and tear on supply networks, which in some regions remains above 50 per cent[1]. At the same time, however, a strategic question arises: how sustainable can energy policy be if a significant proportion of energy consumption is accounted for by buildings with low energy efficiency?

Today, buildings and the housing and utilities sector account for around 45.7 per cent of Kazakhstan’s total energy consumption[2]. In order to meet the commitments under the Paris Agreement and implement national climate policy, improving the energy efficiency of buildings is becoming a key factor in sustainable development.

Without a systematic modernisation of the existing housing stock, the expansion of energy capacity will inevitably be accompanied by persistently high energy consumption.

Therefore, the modernisation of buildings must be viewed not only as part of housing policy, but also as a key instrument for the country’s energy and climate transition.

The housing stock as untapped potential for energy policy

Most of the apartment buildings in Kazakhstan were built between the 1960s and the 1990s. Many of them are characterised by

• significant heat losses,
• lack of effective thermal insulation,
• outdated heating systems, and
• lack of systems for monitoring and controlling energy consumption.

Consequently, the housing stock is one of the main causes of inefficient energy consumption.

The trend in heating costs highlights this problem. Heating tariffs vary considerably between regions: from around 3,200 tenge per gigacalorie in southern cities to more than 10,000 tenge in Almaty for buildings without heat meters. The differences in costs cannot be explained solely by climatic conditions, but also by the state of the infrastructure, the technical characteristics of the buildings and high heat losses.

Given rising living costs, this problem is taking on particular social significance. Over the last three years, prices for goods and services in Kazakhstan have risen by around 34 per cent, whilst the cost of housing and utilities has risen by more than 42 per cent[3]. In such a situation, the energy-efficient modernisation of buildings becomes not merely an environmental or technological challenge, but a key socio-economic factor in easing the financial burden on households.

Gap between homeowners’ expectations and actual modernisation practices

Programmes to modernise apartment buildings are already in place in Kazakhstan. In practice, however, modernisation is often limited to individual repair works, such as the refurbishment of roofs, façades or heating systems, without comprehensive energy-efficient solutions being developed or applied.

The media regularly report on cases where problems persist after a complete refurbishment, including leaky roofs, cold flats or flooded basements[4]. Such situations reflect deeper systemic problems, including

• the failure to implement mandatory energy efficiency standards for renovation,
• outdated technical standards,
• inadequate quality control during construction work, and
• an unclear division of responsibilities between clients, contractors and regulatory authorities.

As a result, the substantial investments made by homeowners do not always have a long-term impact, and public confidence in government modernisation programmes may decline.

Redefining the role of buildings in the energy transition

The national MEU project aims to reduce heat losses in district heating systems from 52 per cent to 42 per cent by 2029[5]. This objective is an important step towards improving the efficiency of the energy infrastructure.

However, international experience shows that the greatest impact is achieved when the modernisation of the energy infrastructure takes place at the same time as the modernisation of the buildings connected to these networks. If buildings continue to suffer from high heat loss, a significant proportion of the investment in infrastructure development will be wasted.

The targeted further development of Kazakhstan’s energy strategy could encompass three key areas:

1. Recognition of the buildings sector as a distinct component of energy and climate policy.
2. Fine-tuning of government support mechanisms for modernisation, with the granting of financial support made conditional on compliance with minimum standards regarding technology and energy efficiency.
3. Integration of tariff policy, social support and programmes to boost energy efficiency, in order to ensure a socially just transition to a more efficient energy system.

The role of homeowners and property management companies

In the 1990s, around 97 per cent of apartments in multi-family buildings in Kazakhstan were privatised. This means that the successful modernisation of the housing stock is not possible without the active involvement of homeowners and without effective management mechanisms for multi-family buildings.

Support for such mechanisms – including the development of homeowners’ associations and other forms of collective management – is one of the necessary prerequisites for the successful and effective implementation of comprehensive modernisation programmes.

Government policy can play a key role in creating conditions under which homeowners can actively bring about decisions on the modernisation of their buildings.

Pilot projects as a tool for developing a national strategy

Pilot projects aimed at the energy-efficient refurbishment of apartment buildings can play an important role in the development of national policy.

Such projects make it possible to

• test comprehensive technical solutions
• assess the actual energy savings,
• analyse the modernisation costs for households,
• improve the qualifications of construction companies and skilled workers,
• develop a quality control mechanism for energy-efficient modernisation, and
• gain institutional experience for scaling up programmes.

Furthermore, pilot projects do not require significant budgetary resources. On the contrary, they can be an effective tool for testing innovative approaches with limited financial risks.

A key prerequisite for their success is the systematic evaluation of results, transparent communication and the use of the practical experience gained to further develop national programmes.

Conclusion: A change of perspective as a prerequisite for sustainable modernisation

Kazakhstan is already taking significant steps to modernise its energy and utilities infrastructure. However, to ensure these investments are effective in the long term, a shift in perspective is required.

The building stock, particularly the housing stock, must not be regarded as a secondary aspect of housing policy, but rather as a central component of the country’s energy and climate transition.

A comprehensive modernisation of buildings can

• significantly reduce energy consumption,
• reduce the financial burden on households caused by utility bills,
• increase the stability of the energy system, and
• boost public support for reforms.

A comprehensive energy-efficient refurbishment of buildings is a project that benefits everyone involved.

• Residents: Improved housing and living conditions for a large proportion of the population who live in older buildings,
• Economy: New jobs through the development of the construction industry, the building materials sector, and small and medium-sized enterprises
• Government: Increased tax revenue for the budget through the revitalisation of the economy and the growth of businesses in the building renovation sector
• Global community: Contribution to international climate protection efforts

The key political and institutional conditions for such a policy in Kazakhstan are already in place. The next step could be to develop them further in a consistent manner, building on pilot projects, international experience and a systematic government strategy to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

[1] Source: ‘Deterioration of municipal infrastructure and pricing policy: Kazakhstan and the world’, https://ranking.kz/reviews/socium/iznos-kommunalnoy-infrastruktury-i-tarifnaya-politika-kazahstan-i-mir.html (article dated 24 December 2025, accessed in February 2026).

[2] Source: Presentation by the Institute of Electrical Power Engineering and Energy Saving in Kazakhstan (EEDI),

6th International Forum on Energy Saving in Astana, 7 November 2024.

[3] Source: ‘Rise in the cost of living in Kazakhstan over three years: paid services have seen the sharpest increase in prices’, https://ranking.kz/digest/socium-digest/rost-stoimosti-zhizni-v-kazahstane-za-tri-goda-zametnee-vsego-podorozhali-platnye-uslugi.html (article dated 29 January 2026, accessed in February 2026).

[4] Source: ‘A Sham Modernisation‘, https://time.kz/articles/territory/2025/06/30/imitatsiya-polnoj-modernizatsii (article dated 30 June 2025, accessed in February 2026).

[5] Source: ‘Deterioration of municipal infrastructure and pricing policy: Kazakhstan and the world’, https://ranking.kz/reviews/socium/iznos-kommunalnoy-infrastruktury-i-tarifnaya-politika-kazahstan-i-mir.html (article dated 24 December 2025, accessed in February 2026).

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Title page of the Roadmap. Copyright: IWO e.V.

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