It is generally recognised that so-called public-private partnership (PPP) plays vital role in promoting private investments in energy infrastructure. In recent years there has been also a growing recognition that PPP can play significant role in enabling so-called “just energy transition”. A “just energy transition” is usually understood as a low-carbon transition that is fair, inclusive and leaves no one behind, whereas PPP is generally understood as a special category of contract, where the State or an entity of the State is the counterparty.

The speaker, Shaimerden Chikanayev argues that the success of the just energy transition worldwide depends on the success of international unification of the PPP legislation and promotion of the new “PPPs for Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) concept, that requires not only “value for money”, but also “value for people” and “value for the planet”. In the absence of universally accepted legal definition of PPP for SDGs and harmonised PPP legislation, therefore, it can be expected that many renewable energy projects that are currently implemented, cannot enable “just energy transition”. 

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), sustainable and climate finance needs in Central Asia are considerable, with an estimated 38 billion US dollars per year up to 2030. All five countries of Central Asia have all set off on a journey of energy transition, but each of these countries is taking a path of its own in respect of legal instruments used to attract international investments. During this talk Shaimerden will speak about nuances of legal regulation of renewable energy infrastructure investments in Central Asia as a relevant case study that can give some light on above problem of securing just energy transition through international unification of the PPP legislation.

About the Speaker:

Shaimerden Chikanayev is Partner of GRATA International. Shaimerden is a Kazakh advocate qualified and admitted to the Almaty City Bar since 2003. He has over 15 years of experience as a partner of the largest law firm in Central Asia, GRATA International. Shaimerden is consistently ranked among the top Kazakhstan lawyers in Chambers, Legal 500, Asialaw Profiles, Who’s Who Legal and International Financial Law Review (IFLR) for his experience in project finance, public-private partnerships, and energy and infrastructure projects.

Shaimerden has significant practical experience advising international financial institutions, investors, sponsors, developers and government entities on energy and infrastructure transactions in post-Soviet Eurasia, in particular in Kazakhstan, the rest of Central Asia and Caucuses.  

Shaimerden has expertise in a wide range of industries including energy, healthcare, utilities and social infrastructure and transportation.

He holds an LLM from the Duke University School of Law and is currently a PhD candidate at CUHK Law.