BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 6. To restrict global warming to 1.5°C, strong legal mechanisms are needed, president of COP29, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mukhtar Babayev said during the international conference “Law and Climate,” Trend reports.
“Climate change and its environmental impacts are major global issues. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change unites nations to fight this global issue. As the Convention's principal decision-making body, the Conference of Parties (COP) is important to its purposes. All nations approved holding the December Conference of the Parties in Azerbaijan. This move shows confidence in Azerbaijan and international respect. This shows autonomous policy, principled viewpoint, and commitment to international law, which is highly valued worldwide,” he said.
According to him, climate change has not slipped through the cracks in our region.
“Their impact is obvious for everyone, and not only specialists but also ordinary citizens can observe the changes. Climate change has a serious impact on agriculture, water resources, forests and biodiversity, health care, tourism, and other sectors. I would especially like to note the impact on coastal zones: the level of the Caspian Sea has significantly decreased in recent years,” he emphasized.
Babayev noted that the anthropogenic and man-made elements are both linked to the causes of these changes.
“These processes address migration. Climate change is seen in the Urmia and Aral lakes. Legislation becomes more important when these developments intensify. Legal systems must defend the rights of climate change's most vulnerable groups and reduce emissions. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Paris Agreement underpin worldwide climate change collaboration. The Paris Agreement shows worldwide cooperation to limit warming to 1.5°C. To do this, effective legal processes must be developed and implemented. Our legal institutions must assure global agreement implementation, climate justice, and, most crucially, defend climate change victims' rights,” he said.
The President of the COP29 mentioned that these challenges must be tackled not just domestically but also through global collaboration.
“The fight against climate change benefits from international law. More countries are deciding climate change claims in court, setting legal precedents to address this global issue. Azerbaijan submitted its national contribution to the Paris Agreement on climate change and is taking substantial measures in this area. This document establishes greenhouse gas emission reduction and climate change resistance goals. Reforms, laws, and practical initiatives to decarbonize the economy have been enacted in recent years,” Bababev added.
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