ATYRAU, Kazakhstan
From April 2 to April 4, the 22nd North Caspian Regional Exhibition 'Atyrau Oil & Gas 2025' took place, traditionally attracting leaders of the oil and gas industry. This year, among the booths of major industrial companies, the unexpected presence of the environmental movement Save the Caspian Sea's booth served as a strong signal to initiate dialogue on corporate environmental responsibility. Through advocacy campaigns, movement representatives urged the exhibition participants to pay attention to the environmental crisis engulfing the Caspian Sea and to hold oil companies accountable.
The movement emphasizes that its goal is not to criticize oil companies or oppose their activities, but to foster constructive interaction. Previously, there were numerous attempts to initiate a mutual discussion of environmental issues with oil companies around a round table. However, most of these invitations were left unanswered.
"We are full-fledged participants in the exhibition. We paid the registration fee and rented the space in full. We set up our exhibition pavilion as a call for responsibility towards the ecology of the Caspian Sea. We are here to inform the public and businesses about the crisis the Caspian Sea is facing. Since the oil and gas companies did not come to our round table, we came to their platform. Their strategy is to ignore us, but we will continue to actively fight to protect the Caspian," said Vadim Ni, founder of Save the Caspian Sea.
During the exhibition, special seminars series were held on procurement by three major oil companies, where environmentalists raised questions to industry representatives regarding tenders for equipment to capture harmful emissions and discharges, as well as the volume of funding for such procurements in the past and future, considering the launch of the third-generation plant. Additionally, co-founder of Save the Caspian Sea, Galina Chernova, drew attention to the absence of environmental clauses in the procurement lists of companies, despite the impact of their activities on the region's ecology.
A seemingly familiar question for industrial companies that have been operating on the Caspian Sea for decades caught them off guard. Company representatives stated that they currently did not have environmental specialists available at the exhibition to provide the necessary information right now. They suggested sending an official request addressed to the company's general director. Following this, pressure was exerted on the movement representatives, demanding the removal of video materials containing the companies' responses from social media.
"We are pleased with our participation in the exhibition, and we consider it a success as we noticed great interest and support from the exhibition guests, apart from the incident concerning our participation in the procurement seminar. Our video, published on social media, caused discontent among one oil company, which attempted to exert pressure with a demand to delete the video. We will not comply with this. Our questions were addressed to competent staff and was not an attempt to disclose production or commercial secrets," said Vadim Ni.
In addition to participating in the seminar, eco-activists organized a peaceful action called 'Caspian in a Bottle', distributing branded water bottles to participants and guests of the event. Each sip from the bottle symbolized the decreasing water level of the Caspian Sea. The action evoked a lively response from visitors: some responded with understanding, while others with a touch of irony.
The Save the Caspian Sea pavilion attracted not only the attention of exhibition participants but also received approval from local authorities. Deputy Akim of the Atyrau region, Daryn Shamuratov, and a deputy of the regional maslikhat, Nurlibek Daraliev, personally visited the booth and expressed support for the environmentalists’ initiatives.
After the event, the founders of Save the Caspian Sea were invited to the Atyrau University of Oil and Gas named after Safi Utebayev to participate in a guest lecture for graduate students.
About the Movement:
The global movement Save the Caspian Sea was founded in December 2024 with the participation of Kazakhstani and international NGOs. Its goal is to preserve the unique ecosystem of the Caspian Sea and increase the responsibility of oil corporations for the environmental consequences of their activities.
The requirements of Save the Caspian Sea include:
• Conducting an international environmental audit of all oil projects in the Caspian to obtain an objective assessment of their impact on the environment;
• Disclosure of environmental standards in contracts.
Since its inception, the movement has carried out significant work to draw attention to the region’s environmental issues. In particular, it organized the international conference 'You.Sea.Problem' involving experts, activists, scientists, deputies, and media representatives. A book entitled 'Caspian Sea: Save or Lose' in three languages, a documentary film 'Call of the Caspian', and a series of videos dedicated to the sea’s problems have been released. All these materials are available at www.savethecaspiansea.com.
According to monitoring data, from 2005 to 2023, the Caspian Sea level dropped by 185 centimeters, and the surface area decreased by more than 31,000 square kilometers. If the trend continues, by the end of the 21st century, the water level could drop by 18 meters, reducing the sea’s area by 34%. Six endemic sturgeon species are at risk of extinction, and the number of Caspian seals has decreased by 90% — from one million to one hundred thousand.
Save the Caspian Sea urges the media to cover the environmental issues of the Caspian and the oil companies’ responsibility. Public awareness and resonance are crucial for taking the necessary measures to preserve the region’s ecosystem.
From April 2 to April 4, the 22nd North Caspian Regional Exhibition 'Atyrau Oil & Gas 2025' took place, traditionally attracting leaders of the oil and gas industry. This year, among the booths of major industrial companies, the unexpected presence of the environmental movement Save the Caspian Sea's booth served as a strong signal to initiate dialogue on corporate environmental responsibility. Through advocacy campaigns, movement representatives urged the exhibition participants to pay attention to the environmental crisis engulfing the Caspian Sea and to hold oil companies accountable.
The movement emphasizes that its goal is not to criticize oil companies or oppose their activities, but to foster constructive interaction. Previously, there were numerous attempts to initiate a mutual discussion of environmental issues with oil companies around a round table. However, most of these invitations were left unanswered.
"We are full-fledged participants in the exhibition. We paid the registration fee and rented the space in full. We set up our exhibition pavilion as a call for responsibility towards the ecology of the Caspian Sea. We are here to inform the public and businesses about the crisis the Caspian Sea is facing. Since the oil and gas companies did not come to our round table, we came to their platform. Their strategy is to ignore us, but we will continue to actively fight to protect the Caspian," said Vadim Ni, founder of Save the Caspian Sea.
During the exhibition, special seminars series were held on procurement by three major oil companies, where environmentalists raised questions to industry representatives regarding tenders for equipment to capture harmful emissions and discharges, as well as the volume of funding for such procurements in the past and future, considering the launch of the third-generation plant. Additionally, co-founder of Save the Caspian Sea, Galina Chernova, drew attention to the absence of environmental clauses in the procurement lists of companies, despite the impact of their activities on the region's ecology.
A seemingly familiar question for industrial companies that have been operating on the Caspian Sea for decades caught them off guard. Company representatives stated that they currently did not have environmental specialists available at the exhibition to provide the necessary information right now. They suggested sending an official request addressed to the company's general director. Following this, pressure was exerted on the movement representatives, demanding the removal of video materials containing the companies' responses from social media.
"We are pleased with our participation in the exhibition, and we consider it a success as we noticed great interest and support from the exhibition guests, apart from the incident concerning our participation in the procurement seminar. Our video, published on social media, caused discontent among one oil company, which attempted to exert pressure with a demand to delete the video. We will not comply with this. Our questions were addressed to competent staff and was not an attempt to disclose production or commercial secrets," said Vadim Ni.
In addition to participating in the seminar, eco-activists organized a peaceful action called 'Caspian in a Bottle', distributing branded water bottles to participants and guests of the event. Each sip from the bottle symbolized the decreasing water level of the Caspian Sea. The action evoked a lively response from visitors: some responded with understanding, while others with a touch of irony.
The Save the Caspian Sea pavilion attracted not only the attention of exhibition participants but also received approval from local authorities. Deputy Akim of the Atyrau region, Daryn Shamuratov, and a deputy of the regional maslikhat, Nurlibek Daraliev, personally visited the booth and expressed support for the environmentalists’ initiatives.
After the event, the founders of Save the Caspian Sea were invited to the Atyrau University of Oil and Gas named after Safi Utebayev to participate in a guest lecture for graduate students.
About the Movement:
The global movement Save the Caspian Sea was founded in December 2024 with the participation of Kazakhstani and international NGOs. Its goal is to preserve the unique ecosystem of the Caspian Sea and increase the responsibility of oil corporations for the environmental consequences of their activities.
The requirements of Save the Caspian Sea include:
• Conducting an international environmental audit of all oil projects in the Caspian to obtain an objective assessment of their impact on the environment;
• Disclosure of environmental standards in contracts.
Since its inception, the movement has carried out significant work to draw attention to the region’s environmental issues. In particular, it organized the international conference 'You.Sea.Problem' involving experts, activists, scientists, deputies, and media representatives. A book entitled 'Caspian Sea: Save or Lose' in three languages, a documentary film 'Call of the Caspian', and a series of videos dedicated to the sea’s problems have been released. All these materials are available at www.savethecaspiansea.com.
According to monitoring data, from 2005 to 2023, the Caspian Sea level dropped by 185 centimeters, and the surface area decreased by more than 31,000 square kilometers. If the trend continues, by the end of the 21st century, the water level could drop by 18 meters, reducing the sea’s area by 34%. Six endemic sturgeon species are at risk of extinction, and the number of Caspian seals has decreased by 90% — from one million to one hundred thousand.
Save the Caspian Sea urges the media to cover the environmental issues of the Caspian and the oil companies’ responsibility. Public awareness and resonance are crucial for taking the necessary measures to preserve the region’s ecosystem.
