Smart city strategies are currently implemented in many countries aiming among other things at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, RICS reports from the 10th Astana Economic Forum.
This year technologically developed and sustainable cities became one of the key topics discussed at the 10th Astana Economic Forum – a high-level annual event bringing together more than 4,000 scholars, business people, acting and former heads of state, Nobel prize laureats and economists from around 100 countries.
The session on smart and sustainable cities of the future was organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan. It was opened by Cihan Sultanoglu, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (RBEC).
The participants discussed how to provide openness, security, resilience and sustainability of cities. UNDP in Kazakhstan jointly with the Akimat of Astana signed the Memorandum of Understanding, which is expected to create favourable conditions for the implementation of joint projects aimed at the transfer to sustainable development of the city economy through the implementation of smart city technologies.
Maarten Vermeulen FRICS, RICS Regional Managing Director for Europe, Russia and CIS, spoke at the session about the importance of international standards as they increase efficiency and bring transparency and confidence to the market.
During Maarten’s visit to Astana, Tatyana Gish MRICS, head of the RICS working group in Kazakhstan, organised his meeting with Kazakhstan’s Justice Vice Minister Elvira Azimova to discuss the bill on the standard of intellectual property valuation in Kazakhstan.