BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The preparation for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) and the development of green projects were the focus of attention in Azerbaijan and a number of CIS countries this week, Trend reports.
The COP29 Organizing Committee has begun accepting applications for accommodation of those wishing to participate in this international event in the 'green zone' of COP29.
The official discussions under COP29 will take place in the 'blue zone'.
The 'green zone', organized by the COP29 Presidency, will serve as a forum for interaction between public and private organizations, NGOs, academia, the arts and civil society.
On June 19, Baku hosted the 29th High-Level Meeting "Pathway to COP29: Sustainable and Resilient Future", where the 73rd President of the United Nations General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa noted that the success of COP29 would be a success for the entire world.
At the same event, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev emphasized importance for the COP29 Presidency to listen to all opinions, develop a consensus-based program, and find common solutions regarding climate action that would empower everyone.
During his speech at the 29th High-Level Meeting, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that the climate crisis is a health crisis, meaning that taking climate action can save millions of lives annually.
The event's another speaker, Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences Najat Mokhtar remarked that climate change is an issue affecting all aspects of life, however, there is currently an unprecedented opportunity to address this issue through inventions and technological innovations.
Deputy Head of the Department for Foreign Policy Affairs of Azerbaijan's Presidential Administration, Head of the COP29 Organizing Committee Secretariat Habib Mikayilli spoke at the 29th High-Level Meeting's panel discussion "Balancing, Reducing, Adapting, and Resilience" on June 19.
He noted that the COP29 team has already consulted with countries from various negotiating groups to hear their opinions and understand their priorities, which will help in discussions on climate financing.
Global Program Lead for Climate and Health at the World Bank Tamer Rabie noted at the same event in Baku that COP29 will build on the COP28 achievements, allowing for the development of country-specific solutions.
The 29th High-Level Meeting also featured a panel discussion "The Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation", which provided information on how to address the issue of climate change and the contributions that biology, ICT, and artificial intelligence can make.
From June 20 until June 24, the Youth Organization of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is holding the Climate Action Forum.
In the first day, COP29 Youth Climate Advocate, Chair of the NAM Youth Organization Leyla Hasanova said that combating climate change aims to create a clean and sustainable future, meaning that youth cannot remain on the sidelines of this process, as it directly concerns them.
COP29 President, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev emphasized in his speech that the dynamic and creative force of young leaders, who are the future of the world, plays a crucial role in international climate negotiations.
The Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Farid Gayibov called on the youth to actively participate in the event and wished all participants success.
The Chief Negotiator for COP29, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev emphasized the importance of the NAM Youth Organization platform, mentioning that it is the largest international youth organization, bringing together youth from 121 countries.
He said that the COP29 presidency has incorporated a youth component into all COP29 activities, as it is essential to reflect the youth's perspective in global climate negotiations.
Rafiyev noted on the sidelines of the NAM Youth Organization Forum that the biggest challenge in preparing for COP29 is that Azerbaijan has rather little time for the process.
"But if we divide the preparation phase into pre-session and post-session periods, we see that everything is going as planned. Our plans and roadmap for the next stages are ready, and we are on track," Rafiyev emphasized.
During his speech at the Climate Action Forum of the NAM Youth Organization on June 20 in Baku, Mukhtar Babayev noted that during its chairmanship in the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan contributed to global actions to combat the pandemic and intends to play a significant role in fighting climate change.
Babayev also pointed out that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, climate financing, and national plans to reduce emissions are the main goals of the upcoming COP29.
In his opinion, without addressing these issues, it's impossible to build a climate-resilient world.
According to Rafiyev, the private sector must be involved in climate action activities, and reliance solely on government funds is insufficient.
He also mentioned that small developing countries have put forward their proposals on climate financing, and it is possible that the World Bank will allocate certain financial resources to regional banks for immediate response to natural disasters in such countries.
During the Baku Climate Action Forum of the NAM Youth Organization on June 20, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva emphasized that the younger generation is keenly interested in ensuring that the world's economic development is carbon-neutral.
She said that the world needs professionals who will implement the 'green' transition and develop the green economy, which requires education based on knowledge of 'green' processes and trends.
Vice Rector for External, Government and Student Affairs at ADA University Fariz Ismailzade, speaking at the NAM Youth Organization Climate Action Forum in Baku, pointed out that scientific research in universities is necessary for combating climate change, as science should help overcome climate challenges.
UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva noted that "Climate Week" will be held in New York on September 22-29, organized by the UN Climate Group and the UN General Assembly.
According to her, this event will include discussions about COP29 and how UN teams can support Azerbaijan in hosting the critical event on November 11-24, 2024.
This week, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol announced that the second high-level COP29-IEA dialogue will take place on June 24 in London (the first was on May 15 in Paris).
He emphasized that during this event, leaders in energy, climate, and finance will focus on how to increase investments in clean energy, especially in developing economies.
EU Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra discussed preparations for COP29 during his visit to Baku on June 20.
Topics discussed during the visit included continuing the consensus reached in the UAE, climate financing, the development of international carbon markets, adaptation, and transparency reporting (countries will submit their biennial transparency reports this year).
During his meeting with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov, Hoekstra discussed the importance of the strategic energy partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan and potential initiatives at COP29 on renewable energy, hydrogen, methane, energy storage, and distribution networks.
The EU Commissioner’s meeting with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov focused on COP29 priorities.
During his speech at the 29th High-Level Meeting in Zangilan, Head of the Environmental Policy Department of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources Faig Mutallimov announced that Azerbaijan has put forward large-scale initiatives for tree planting and greening the country, committing to restore 270,000 hectares of forest land.
Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the Jabrayil, Gubadli, and Zangilan districts Vahid Hajiyev noted during his speech at the 29th High-Level Meeting in Zangilan that the Azerbaijani government intends to transform the Karabakh region into a dynamically developing center of "clean energy".
According to him, by utilizing the rich solar energy resources in Jabrayil, Gubadli, and Zangilan, solar panels can be integrated into residential homes and street infrastructure systems.
Additionally, initiatives such as solar charging stations for electric vehicles, "smart parking" and other eco-friendly solutions will highlight the commitment to implementing sustainable practices.
Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the Azerbaijan Insurers Association Ulviya Jabbarova noted during the opening ceremony of the Azerbaijan International Insurance Forum-2024 (AIIF-2024) on June 20 that discussions on the risks posed by climate change will take place within the framework of COP29.
She mentioned that the scale of damage is increasing every year, which is a significant signal for the insurance industry.
Head of the EIB Regional Office for the South Caucasus Maciej Czura pointed out that the European Investment Bank (EIB) is ready to support Azerbaijan at COP29 in achieving ambitious conference results and ensuring a transition to a green economy.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan Ilhama Gadimova noted this week that Azerbaijan's agricultural sector faces significant climate-related risks, including changes in air temperature, precipitation patterns, and abnormal weather events.
Italian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Luca di Gianfrancesco announced this week that Italy will be represented at COP29 by a high-level delegation.
Director of Energy Strategy and International Cooperation at the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade Petr Binhak said that Czech representatives are looking forward to participating in COP29 in November in Baku, as the Czech Republic adheres to its climate commitments.
Binhak also noted that Czech companies are interested in participating in renewable energy projects and energy efficiency projects in Azerbaijan.
Head of Development and Investment (CIS) at Masdar Maryam Al Mazrui mentioned that the company intends to participate in COP29 along with the UAE delegation and hopes to support Azerbaijan in successfully hosting the event.
She highlighted that Masdar has a substantial portfolio of projects in Azerbaijan.
Al Mazrui also said that the company is negotiating with the Ministry of Energy on an energy storage project in Azerbaijan involving battery storage systems.
According to her, this will be the debut battery energy storage system project in Azerbaijan, which will aid efforts to stabilize the power grid.
She clarified that this initiative is still in the early stages of discussion.
Additionally, Al Mazrui mentioned that the development of offshore wind energy in the Caspian Sea is part of the first phase of the renewable energy development agreement in Azerbaijan, and currently, feasibility studies are underway.
According to her, once Masdar has clarity on the project, the company will coordinate with the government on the next steps for developing offshore wind energy and producing green hydrogen.