Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused damage of an unprecedented scale to a wide range of domains. The barely incepted decarbonisation faces critical challenges amid globally deteriorated energy security. Whereas it is difficult to assess the impact of the war on climate action, it is worth analysing the pre-2022 context when some nations were trailblazing climate agenda and others were reluctantly following the case. The project concerns explaining why some countries are committed to conducting innovative climate change policies, forgoing a certain portion of immediate economic returns over costly adjustments, while others are not. The study identifies distinctive patterns of climate change policies across the globe and explores the aspects that influence the nations’ decision to pursue decarbonization. In 2022, the project focused on Central Asian countries, discussing the factors that facilitate and impede climate action in the nations spearheading the agenda and in nations lagging. The project builds upon various data to analyse a broader context for climate action, examine patterns of climate change policies and energy transition policies, and interpret cross-national differences in this regard.