Can ESG make critical minerals sustainable? The case of Kazakhstan’s oligarchy-dominated and Soviet-based industry

As the European Union intensifies its pursuit of critical raw materials essential for the sustainability transition and digitalization, resource-rich Central Asia has emerged as a key region of interest.

This presentation explores how the EU and affiliated institutions attempt to manage supply chain risks and oligarchic entanglements through frameworks such as ESG and CSR. Using Kazakhstan as a case study, the presentation examines what happens to the idea of responsible business conduct when it is deployed in environments marked by opaque governance and state-business collusion. It also shows that while ESG and CSR are presented as tools of accountability and sustainability, they have been already previously instrumentalized to whitewash extractive practices.

Speaker bio

Dr. Asel Doolotkeldieva (Research Fellow, University of Potsdam) is a political scientist and political sociologist whose work explores contentious politics across fields such as extractive industries, environmentalism, and authoritarianism. Her current research focuses on the political economies of critical raw material extraction and geopolitical encroachments of the West and China in Central Asia. Dr. Doolotkeldieva also has extensive experience in combining academic research with policy engagement, local community engagement, and advocacy.