ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The Government of Kazakhstan will host today the Future Energy International Symposium "Action for Global Sustainability" as part of its bid to host Expo 2017 in Astana. http://www.expo2017astana.com

The theme of Kazakhstan's bid FUTURE ENERGY is the securing of environmentally sustainable alternative energy supplies.  In recent years, Kazakhstan has actively promoted a number of international initiatives to support sustainable energy use, including the "Green Bridge" Partnership Program that it presented at last week's Rio+ 20 Conference.

Around 130 delegates to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) will take part at the Symposium.

At the Symposium scholars, politicians and business people from Kazakhstan and abroad will discuss topical issues related to future energy supplies, climate change, ecological and environmental security as well as investments in renewable and energy-saving technologies.

Vice Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov will address the Symposium participants.

Kazakhstan's proposals to develop "green" policies for sustainable economic development are supported by a number of leading energy experts from the energy sector.

Commenting, a special guest of the Symposium, Bertrand Piccard, Chairman of Solar Impulse, a company developing a long-range solar powered aircraft said: "Today's technologies - if only governments had the courage to promote them on a massive scale - will allow us to reduce our dependence on fossil energies significantly. It's not only the environment that would benefit. Job creation and purchasing power would also benefit from opening up these fascinating development perspectives."

Kazakhstan sees enormous potential for energy saving and development of renewable energy sources.  The country has made significant progress in addressing environmental problems, including giving up its nuclear weapon, closing the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and putting in place a program to save the Aral Sea.

Central Asia faces serious environmental challenges, including water scarcity and inefficiency of energy use.  In Kazakhstan alone, the Government calculates that the Green Economy could increase energy efficiency by 40-60%, water saving by 50%, and reduce industrial waste by 30 billion tons.

The FUTURE ENERGY Symposium aims to serve as a discussion platform to develop opportunities to advance environmentally sustainable social development and economic prosperity.

In November this year 160 member countries of BIE will vote in Paris for the host country of EXPO 2017 International Exhibition.

Media enquiries: Nurgul Alipinova, Press Secretary, EXPO 2017 Astana +77172576407, nurgul_alipinova@mail.ru.

SOURCE EXPO 2017 Astana