BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 31. The 5th Dialogue on Sustainable Development Goals, titled "Future Echoes: Bridging Pathways for Climate Change and Global Goals", has taken place at ADA University in Baku, Trend reports.
The dialogue was organized by the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan and the United Nations (UN) Office in the country.
The event featured speeches from Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Chief Negotiator for COP29 Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Samad Bashirli, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva, Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan Bahar Muradova, Chair of Azerbaijan's Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources, Energy, and Ecology Sadig Gurbanov, and Vice-Rector of ADA University, MP Fariz Ismayilzade.
According to Rafiyev, about 60 statements and decisions are expected to be adopted in Baku within the framework of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).
He pointed out that we are just a stone's throw away from the landmark COP29 event set to take place in the heart of Azerbaijan's capital.
“We have a very ambitious agenda in front of us. We had little time. We've built capacity thanks to political support for our commitments. We have managed to ensure the establishment of a successful process among UN members.
We will witness that very soon. Of course, there is a connection between the Sustainable Development Goals and climate action. It is not just about Goal 13. Every goal, in one sense or another, is climate-related.
We also tried to include this issue in COP29 as part of the negotiations. We have set ourselves a fair and collective goal. At the same time, we are anticipating approximately 60 statements and decisions to be made in Baku. However, in its capacity as the host, the presidency has its own initiatives that not only complement the negotiating agenda but also contribute to the global action on climate change. Some of these initiatives are also related to the Sustainable Development Goals and their implementation,” Rafiyev added.
Andreeva recalled that a few weeks ago, the world came together in New York to tie the knot on a pact for the future, a global digital agreement, and a declaration for the generations yet to come. These three agreements will help the UN roll with the punches and come out swinging, making it even better at tackling today’s challenges and serving up solutions for everyone.
"However, let me emphasize again that our main task is to build on the UN Charter and the values and principles of international law. Consistency is very important; also essential is that we must strengthen ambition and allow for action.
The event will reveal whether the world will collectively move in the right direction to keep the global average temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Azerbaijan will present its contribution as host of the event before COP29. However, we know that assumptions alone are not enough. We need to expand implementation and increase climate finance.
Climate finance will be a key topic on the COP29 agenda, including the new collective quantitative target, reducing the impact of developing countries, and adaptation issues. These are very important tools in terms of adaptation and mitigation, especially for developing countries,” she added.
Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COP29, Elnur Soltanov, noted that Azerbaijan has committed to reducing its emissions by forty percent by the year 2050, with expectations to achieve this target by 2035.
He said that by 2030, Azerbaijan's emissions will be cut by 35 percent compared to 1990 levels, emphasizing that every climate action must reflect the progress achieved through previous decisions.
"If we planned to reduce emissions by 40 percent by 2050, we now aim to achieve this by 2035," Soltanov pointed out.
According to him, Azerbaijan has updated its baseline year from 1990 through 2022.
"This also allows for a clearer understanding of current conditions and enables more accurate reporting. According to our estimates, emissions in 2022 amounted to 61 million tons of carbon dioxide, representing 1 percent of global emissions. Our per capita emissions are lower than the global and European averages, and we have already seen significant reductions since 1990.
The energy sector has been divided into 4 additional subsectors, covering a total of 7 sectors. He noted that decision-making at the global level requires a comprehensive approach across all economic sectors.
The electricity production sector is the largest in terms of investments, accounting for 24 percent.
Following this, residential buildings and infrastructure rank second, while the oil and gas sector contributes around 16 percent of emissions in absolute terms. The transportation sector is next at 15 percent, followed by industry at 14 percent, waste at 8 percent, and agriculture at 7 percent. In agriculture, we focus on net figures, including factors like forest belts, cover, etc.," Soltanov added.
Bashirli said that the question of implementing a carbon emission tax in Azerbaijan has gained prominence in recent years, a topic that was previously seldom discussed or mentioned only in specialized literature.
He underscored that if all countries adopt a carbon emission tax, Azerbaijan will have no choice but to follow suit.
"There is no doubt that this will inevitably impact the real sector. However, we cannot operate in an integrated manner within the global economy without considering global realities. We must take these realities into account.
The potential contributions we can make with our available resources—whether financial, investment, or commercial—are clear. These contributions need to increase. But our resources are limited. In this case, it is essential to enhance synergy among these areas. While this may sound appealing and straightforward, it is far more complex. It requires mobilizing efforts on both global and national levels," he added.
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