The impact of renewable energy implementation on agricultural sustainability in the context of climate change

This study was aimed at exploring the potential of renewable energy sources (RES) in enhancing the resilience of agriculture to climate change, with a focus on the applicability of these technologies in the context of Kazakhstan. The study was based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the current state of the sector, comparative analysis of renewable energy technologies, examination of practical cases, and assessment of the applicability in the Republic of Kazakhstan. As a result of the study, it was found that RES, such as solar, wind, and biogas energy, had significant potential for increasing the resilience of agriculture in the context of climate change. It was established that these technologies effectively reduced the dependence of the agricultural sector on fossil fuels, which was particularly valuable for remote regions. It was emphasised that a 2 kW system could generate 6-10 kWh per day in sunny regions such as Turkestan or Almaty regions, where insolation reached 1,500-1,800 kWh/m² per year, and 1-10 kW turbines could generate 2-20 kWh per day in windy areas such as Kostanay and Akmola, where wind speeds reached 5-7 m/s. The study also revealed that in Kazakhstan, from 2020 to 2024, electricity generation from RES increased from 3.24 billion kWh to 7.581 billion kWh. It was noted that such energy sources contributed to climate adaptation by ensuring reliable energy supply for irrigation in arid zones or heating during unstable seasons, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thereby lowering the environmental burden on the agricultural sector. For Kazakhstan, this opened up prospects for increasing yields due to stable access to energy, reducing dependence on fuel imports, and improving environmental performance, especially considering that from 2020 to 2024, the cost of RES decreased from USD 0.057 to USD 0.04 for solar energy and from USD 0.039 to USD 0.03 for wind energy, while coal and gas ranged from USD 0.04-0.25 with a peak in 2022. Thus, RES addressed current problems and also created a foundation for the long-term sustainable development of agriculture, which was especially important in the context of climate risks