BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 5
By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend:
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company (SOCAR) has proposed the creation of a regional organization Caspian Environmental Protection Initiative (CEPI) as part of the Environmental Protection Initiative in the Caspian region, Trend reports citing SOCAR.
The main objectives of this initiative are to create a joint research platform for international oil companies operating in the region in order to protect the environment and join forces to achieve this goal, the company said.
The organization shall aim to prevent the emission of harmful substances into the environment by developing and implementing joint preventive measures to combat climate change that threaten the environmental sustainability of the Caspian region. The global oil and gas companies operating in Azerbaijan such as BP Azerbaijan, Equinor Absheron AS and Total E & P Absheron B.V., praised the initiative and joined the call for a new organization.
In order to present CEPI and discuss upcoming issues, an online meeting with the participation of Vice President on Ecology at SOCAR Rafiga Huseynzadeh, Vice President for Communications, External Affairs, Strategy & AGT Region at BP Azerbaijan Bakhtiyar Aslanbeyli, Equinor manager for Azerbaijan Fawad Guraishi and Executive Director of Total E&P Absheron B.V. Regis Agut, was held on May 4, the report said.
At the meeting, Rafiga Huseynzadeh informed the participants about the goals and objectives of the CEPI organization, noting that the organization’s mission is to mobilize oil and gas companies operating in the Caspian region in the fight against environmental and economic threats associated with climate change, and aims to take advanced measures in this direction.
“The main objective is to prevent actions that threaten environmental sustainability in the Caspian region. The companies will share their knowledge and experience in the field of environmental protection, conduct joint research and coordinate environmental activities. In the future, the participation of other international companies and organizations in the activities of CEPI is expected,” the report said.
The participants emphasized the importance of the initiative in the field of environmental protection, expressed confidence that CEPI will make a valuable contribution to the implementation of large-scale state programs in this direction in Azerbaijan and discussed the steps that need to be taken within the organization.
“During the meeting, it was decided to create a joint working group and sign a memorandum of understanding to ensure the successful functioning of the newly created organization. At the end of the meeting, participants unanimously elected SOCAR's Vice President for Ecology Rafiga Huseynzadeh as the chairman of the newly created organization,” said the report.
In order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), SOCAR is implementing sustainable environmental measures to protect the environment, ensure efficient use of resources, reduce carbon emissions and promote the development of the region.
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