BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 13. Azerbaijan plays a crucial role in Europe’s energy security, thanks to its resources and sustainable development strategy, said Jean Baderschneider, former Vice President of ExxonMobil and head of the Global Campaign Against Human Trafficking, in an exclusive interview with Trend.
“Azerbaijan holds significant oil and gas reserves. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Azerbaijan has been helping Europe by supplying about 4% of its gas needs. For such a small country, that’s a remarkable contribution,” she noted.
She also highlighted Azerbaijan's growing potential in renewable energy, particularly in wind power.
“With the decreasing cost of renewable technologies, creating a renewable energy hub in Azerbaijan could play a key role. Climate change is forcing us to rethink our approaches, and it’s important to recognize that transitioning to ‘green’ energy is now becoming more economically attractive than sticking with oil and gas,” Jean Baderschneider added.
She also addressed global challenges, pointing to instability in the political landscape.
“Many crucial issues are being discussed at the Baku Global Forum. The international community must recognize the need for new alliances and cooperation, as the multilateral approach is currently in crisis. I hope European countries and others will understand their role in this process. We need to focus on alliances, cooperation, and multilateralism, because the current global order is in a fragile state,” she explained.
Baderschneider stressed the importance of tackling the climate agenda.
“We must support COP29 and the ambitious commitments being made. However, the situation ahead of COP30 looks grim: the U.S. has pulled out of the process, and only 5% of countries have submitted their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). We’re starting from a very negative position,” she said.
However, she believes that economic factors could help address climate challenges.
“The issue of the route from Baku to Belém (Brazil) and the need to raise 1.3 trillion dollars is really important. We face global challenges like peace and security, but economic factors could help us find solutions,” Jean Baderschneider stated.
She also emphasized that, despite the focus on defense and national security, it’s essential to prioritize the implementation of global agreements.
