Please join the Fletcher Eurasia Club for a lunch seminar about climate change and energy in Central Asia with Rahat Sabyrbekov, Visiting Scholar at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. We will discuss the current state and future of the energy transition in the region and the role that surrounding countries play in its development.

Central Asia is between fossil-rich Russia and rapidly decarbonizing China. The conversation will explore the challenges and opportunities that climate change presents in Central Asia, focusing on the region’s energy landscape and the transition toward sustainable alternatives. Drawing on recent research and case studies, we will discuss policy implications and potential pathways for a greener future. We will also look at the possible scenarios for Russia- or China-led futures of energy transition in the region.

We encourage you to read in advance the following articles by Sabyrbekov and other experts on Russia’s expanding energy ties to Central Asia, the region’s climate adaptation, and the energy transition and decarbonization in the region. The Eurasia Club weekly lunch seminar series engages with students, faculty, staff, and researchers to foster a better understanding of the region among members of the Fletcher community. Members of the wider Tufts community are also welcome to attend. Lunch will be served.

Rahat Sabyrbekov is an environmental economist who specializes in decarbonization, climate change, and energy transition. He currently serves as a visiting scholar at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. He obtained his Ph.D. from the School of Economics and Business at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Sabyrbekov has extensive teaching experience in the United States and Central Asia, where he instructs courses related to environmental economics, climate policy, and sustainable development. His research interests include energy transition, climate policy on a national and global scale, decarbonization, and development. He has also served as a consultant for numerous international projects, including those with USAID, the World Bank, UNDP, and GIZ. His recent publications include “Small and large friends of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism: Which non-EU countries are likely to support it?” (2024), “Putting the Foot Down: Accelerating EV Uptake in Kyrgyzstan” (2023), “Know Your Opponent: Which Countries Might Fight the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism?” (2022), and “Fossil Fuels in Central Asia: Trends and Energy Transition Risks” (2022).