BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 7. Azerbaijan adheres to the policy of improvement of the transport management system in order to cut carbon emissions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said, Trend reports via the latest publication from the IMF.
According to the Fund, Azerbaijan has also selected the policy of using environmentally friendly forms of transport, as well as the enhancement of the use of EVs and public transportation.
“Transport sector mitigation policies differ by countries’ income level and degree of urbanization. Promoting electric vehicles (EVs) is a common policy among countries with a larger middle class and private vehicle ownership. These countries are also investing in greening public transportation, for example through electrifying metro systems and railroads, and are embedding intelligent transportation management systems in the urban planning process,” the report said.
In this regard, Azerbaijan also works toward the electrification of railway lines, the development of metro transport, and reducing congestion on roads, the IMF added.
As the report noted, the transport sector accounts for about 12 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the Middle East and Central Asia region. With rapid population growth and urbanization, transport emissions in the region have almost doubled since 2000, resulting in a 31-fold growth in Tajikistan.
“Like the power sector, reducing emissions in the transport sector also relies on the early retirement of high-emissions vehicles. In this regard, several countries are planning to implement policies such as banning imports of fuel-inefficient used vehicles and adopting stricter vehicle emissions standards such as EURO 6,” the report noted.
Meanwhile, as the IMF expects, a tax of $4 per ton of carbon emissions is expected to be introduced through the phasing out of fuel subsidies in the South Caucasus and Central Asia by 2030.
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