Abstract
This article explores low-carbon development processes through the implementation of ESG criteria at leading enterprises in Kazakhstan. While contemporary research focuses on the integration of ESG principles into enterprise operations, the connection between the practical implementation of ESG approaches in industry and the development of qualified personnel capable of achieving sustainable development goals remains insufficiently explored. This article assesses the ESG practices of domestic industrial enterprises and analyzes the development of relevant competencies among future specialists, allowing for the study and development of mechanisms to strengthen this area. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of the implementation of ESG principles and international certification standards on the competitiveness of industrial enterprises in Kazakhstan and to assess the readiness of the industrial region's workforce to implement the sustainable development agenda. The study is based on data from the PwC Kazakhstan rating (2024) and an analysis of the corporate reporting of QazaqGaz NC JSC and Karachaganak Petroleum. The empirical part is based on the results of a sociological survey (questionnaire) of engineering and economics students at Toraighyrov University. It was found that for leaders in the oil and gas sector of Kazakhstan, compliance with ISO 14001, 50001, and 45001 standards has become a mandatory factor in maintaining export positions and accessing international capital (see the case of QazaqGaz attracting $11 billion in investments). The study at Toraighyrov University revealed a "competency gap": while overall awareness of ESG is 82%, only 24.5% of students have applied knowledge of ISO standards. The authors compared the ESG maturity indicators of the country's largest companies with the level of specialist training at a university in an industrial region (Toraighyrov University). The scientific novelty of the article lies in comparing the level of ESG maturity of large industrial enterprises in Kazakhstan with the readiness of the workforce in industrial regions to implement sustainable development principles. The practical value of the obtained results is based on the possibility of using ESG practices by industrial enterprises in improving ESG strategies, as well as by educational organizations in developing and updating educational programs, including through the implementation of interdisciplinary minor programs.