Energy Transition versus Energy Crisis The Central Asian Countries' Strategies

The energy crises in the winter of 2022-2023 once again underlined the vulnerabilities of Central Asian energy systems, which have been exacerbated by climate change. To meet these challenges, Central Asian countries are increasingly seeking to transition to sustainable and modern energy technologies and, in particular, renewable energy. To this end, they should pursue six strategies: development of renewable energy, use of nuclear energy, mitigation of climate change, decentralization of energy systems, use of fossil fuels with lower-carbon and lower-emission technologies, and reinforcement of multilateral cooperation. While the states of Central Asia previously preferred partnerships with European countries and companies for the energy transition, they are increasingly becoming heavily dependent on investors from China and the Gulf states.