By: Ramiz Aliyev
The preparation process for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP29 (Conference of the Parties) to be held in Azerbaijan is being carried out rapidly. The scale and speed of the preparations informas that the prestigious event will be organized at a level worthy of the name and reputation of Azerbaijan. The declaration of 2024 as the “Green World Solidarity Year” in our country by the Decree of the Head of State Mr. Ilham Aliyev, as well as the fact that Azerbaijan is hosting the COP29 show how responsibly Baku approaches its obligations. By organizing COP29, Azerbaijan will present itself to the world. This is a very important opportunity for us.
The participants of the summit will be able to get acquainted with the new realities created by Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus, which was able to ensure territorial integrity on its own. Everyone will see that Azerbaijan’s restoration of historical justice is based on its unshakable faith and commitment to the supremacy of international law and its loyalty to the choice of independence. The leadership and hosting of the annual conference is chosen by voting of 198 countries representing 5 regional groups of the UN (African countries, Asian countries, Latin American and Caribbean countries, Central and Eastern European countries, Western Europe and other countries). The last, the 28th conference, called COP28, was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on November 30-December 12, 2023. More than 97,000 delegations from 195 countries participated in the summit, and very important decisions were made for our world. At that summit, the Azerbaijani side expressed its desire to host the next summit, and this desire was fully supported by the participants. It should be noted that, in addition to Azerbaijan, Armenia and Bulgaria also submitted their candidacies at that conference. In a joint statement issued as a result of direct negotiations between the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan and the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Armenia has withdrawn its candidacy in favor of Azerbaijan. After that, Bulgaria also withdrew its candidacy. Thus, on December 9, the Eastern European regional group identified Azerbaijan as the country that will host the COP in 2024. This victory further increased the power and influence of the successes achieved by Azerbaijan in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.
The conference, which will be called COP29, will be held in Baku on November 11-24, 2024. A delegation of 80-100 thousand people representing more than 190 countries of the world is expected to be received within the framework of the conference. COP29 is considered to be the biggest event in the history of the country. The fact that Azerbaijan is hosting such a prestigious event will bring huge dividends to the country on a local, regional and international scale. The level of COP events is equal to that of the UN General Assembly. High-level delegations, experts, big business representatives, influential media members will stay in our country for two weeks, which will be many times more than the number of foreign guests who participated in the European Games, the International Astronautical Congress and other events. The attention of the world community will be directed to our country and the South Caucasus in two weeks.
Azerbaijan is surprising Europe with its “green” energy. Azerbaijan, which plays an important role in Europe’s energy security, also comes up with ambitious projects related to “green” energy. In general, the government of Azerbaijan has defined the goal of meeting 30 percent of the energy demand from renewable sources by 2030. Renewable energy sources offer the most promising solution for achieving climate-related goals. Azerbaijan has committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 35% by 2030 and by 40% by 2050. The production of “green” energy and its transportation to the world market is one of the priority areas in the energy policy of Azerbaijan. This also meets the interests of our partners in Europe. Holding COP29 will demonstrate to the world that Azerbaijan’s main agenda is related to “green” energy, despite the fact that the country is a large oil and gas producer. The creation of “green” types of energy and the transportation of “green” energy to world markets are currently the priority of our energy policy. By hosting the mentioned event, our country shows the importance it attaches to the environment, and in a larger sense, it shows that it is not indifferent to the transmission of a healthy world to future generations. Today, like other countries, Azerbaijan is suffering from environmental problems. The occupation of our territories for nearly 30 years, the burning and destruction of thousands of hectares of forested areas, and the pollution of our rivers and reservoirs during the occupation had a very negative effect on the general ecological situation. The President of Azerbaijan declared the liberated lands of our country a “Green” energy zone. It is planned to turn these areas into “Net zero emission” zones by 2050.
There are geothermal and solar energy resources in all regions of Azerbaijan, including the liberated Kalbajar and Aghdara regions, hydropower sources in Lachin, Gubadli and Zangilan regions, wind energy in Shusha, Khojavend and Jabrayil regions, and bioenergy resources in Tartar, Aghdam, Khojaly regions. As a result of their effective use, our country can become a producer and consumer of “Green” energy. At present, the water level of the Caspian Sea is gradually decreasing. This creates both environmental and economic problems. If the retreat of the Caspian Sea continues as it is, for example, the countries located on the Middle Corridor will experience serious problems related to communication projects. This is because this important transnational project passes through the Caspian Sea. One of the main reasons for the retreat of the sea is the decrease of water in the Volga River, which is the main source of water for the Caspian Sea. Thus, the environmental problems of both the world and Azerbaijan will be brought to attention and discussed at the events to be held within the framework of COP29.
Currently, Azerbaijan is in the forefront of countries moving towards “green energy”. Baku supports the fight against climate change by joining the “Global Methane Promise” and establishing the “Energy Efficiency Fund”. Renewable energy is the main elements of the implementation of the “clean environment” and “green growth” priority in the national development strategy until 2030 determined by the head of state.
I also remembered that Azerbaijan’s contributions to the problem of climate change created a great resonance on a world scale. At the international conference held in Nairobi these days, the representatives of the African countries declared that they see COP-29 as a place of hope. African countries, which suffered from European colonial policy for many years, will express the problems they face in Baku and demand justice from the world.
It should be unequivocally noted that holding COP 29, one of the world’s largest international events, in Azerbaijan is the next solemn victory of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. This is the biggest achievement in our foreign policy since our chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement and our membership in the Security Council. At a time when an ugly campaign against Azerbaijan is being carried out, conducting intensive preparations for a prestigious event in Baku show that we only look forward, think about development, do not join in dirty games, and do not comply with provocations.
The Writer is a Political Scientist from Azerbaijan.