Almaty, Kazakhstan | April 22, 2025 — A new chapter in public-private environmental cooperation began with the signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, KT&G Corporation, and Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO). The agreement formalizes a joint commitment to restoring wildfire-affected landscapes in the Abai Region and strengthening forest fire management capacity across the country. The MoU signing ceremony for the “KT&G Green-Globe Project – Forest Restoration of Wildfire-Affected Areas in Abai Region, Kazakhstan” was hosted at The Main Botanical Garden in Almaty.
From 2025 to 2027, the project aims to rehabilitate approximately 100 hectares of forest in the Semey area of the Abai region, which was severely impacted by wildfires in June 2023. Key components include customized forest restoration, capacity building in forest fire management through training and study visits in Kazakhstan and Korea, and long-term monitoring and awareness campaigns to support sustainable forest management and fire prevention.
The project is anticipated to be one of the first collaborative reforestation initiatives in Kazakhstan supported by the private sector of Korea, implemented in partnership with the Forestry and Wildlife Committee under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This project follows the signing of the KT&G–AFoCO Partnership Agreement on 10 December 2024 and reflects ongoing efforts to foster practical cooperation for sustainable forest management and climate resilience across Asia.
The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, His Excellency Mr. Yerlan Nyssanbayev noted that the signing of the MoU “marks an important step in restoring Kazakhstan’s forest ecosystems affected by wildfires and enhancing climate resilience.” The Minister expressed deep appreciation for KT&G’s initiative and commitment, highlighting the project as a meaningful example of public-private partnership for sustainable environmental protection. He emphasized the growing impact of climate change and forest fires in Kazakhstan and expressed hope that this cooperation would lead to further joint efforts for the benefit of nature and future generations”
KT&G CEO and President Mr. Bang Kyung-man emphasized that “going forward, KT&G will continue to contribute to solving various social problems in the countries where it operates and pursue sustainable growth.”
AFoCO Vice Executive Director Mr. Jin Sunpil, highlighted that the launch of this tripartite restoration project “marks a vital first step in responding to the growing threat of forest loss from wildfires in Kazakhstan, and exemplifies how meaningful public-private cooperation—like that with KT&G—can offer sustainable, climate-resilient solutions through forest restoration.”
KT&G, one of South Korea’s largest public companies, has evolved from a state-owned enterprise founded in 1883 into a global corporation with ventures in health, biotech, and next-generation tobacco. Beyond business, KT&G is committed to corporate social responsibility, actively supporting education, cultural exchange, and environmental sustainability. In particular, KT&G established its environmental management framework in 2021 under the vision of “Green Impact,” with the goal of minimizing the environmental footprint of its operations and reinforcing environmental responsibility across its entire value chain. This framework is built on three core pillars: mitigating the impacts of climate change, accelerating the transition to a circular economy, and managing natural capital while protecting biodiversity.
As part of these initiatives, KT&G has launched a mid- to long-term global afforestation project aimed at conserving global forest resources from the impacts of desertification and forest degradation. With the signing of this MOU, the project will officially commence its first phase in Kazakhstan.
The AFoCO-KT&G collaboration in Kazakhstan is a testament to the country’s growing leadership in sustainable forestry and AFoCO’s continued commitment to regional cooperation in addressing climate change, forest restoration, and environmental resilience. The project will be the third AFoCO project in Kazakhstan, alongside the ongoing “Pilot project on inventory of unaccounted forests in Kostanay and North Kazakhstan Regions and Automation of Information Collection on Forestry (AFoCO/028/2022),” and the recently launched “Technology and Capacity Enhancement for Massive Production of Quality Planting Materials (AFoCO/044/2024),” projects.
