BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 30. The international conference within the Climate Action Week (BCAW 2024) to Combat Climate Change framework has been held in Baku, Trend reports.
Addressing the participants of the event, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, President of COP29 Mukhtar Babayev stated that this event will pave the way for progress on key issues that will be front and center at the upcoming COP29.
"Among the main topics are climate financing, the provision of biennial transparency reports (BTR) by the end of the year, and the preparation and submission of national climate plans (NDC) by February of the following year," he noted.
UN high-level climate leader at COP29 Nigar Arpadarai added that the climate crisis is looming as a no longer distant threat. "We need fresh ideas, a wealth of know-how, and a steadfast dedication from everyone involved — from the business world and community groups to urban centers and educational institutions. Baku Climate Week is a wake-up call, a melting pot where talk turns into tangible plans, and those plans spark lasting transformation," she highlighted.
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov pointed out that the Climate Finance Action Fund can be a game changer in bridging the gaps. "We aim to engage all stakeholders in this process and achieve inclusive discussions. To do this, it is necessary to involve countries, international organizations, financial institutions, and major energy companies in COP29, and to organize discussions on incentives to attract private investment in low-carbon business solutions," he said.
Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention Simon Stiell added that the importance of the upcoming COP29 cannot be underestimated. "I want to congratulate the government of Azerbaijan on hosting COP29. Under the presidency aimed at enhancing ambition and supporting action, key themes of the conference, such as the energy transition, urban resilience, sustainable financing, water resources, and food and agriculture, place Azerbaijan at the center of the international climate agenda this year," he said.
UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva noted in her address that Baku Climate Action Week is a crucial event ahead of COP29. "Azerbaijan's announcement as the host of the COP29 conference followed with the active mobilization of representatives from various sectors to combat climate change. In this process, Azerbaijan is working closely with the UN, the COP29 Presidency Team, the government, civil society, development partners, the scientific community, and youth".
As Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov addressed the participants of the event, he highlighted Azerbaijan's commitment to a clean environment and green growth. "The concepts of "clean environment" and "green growth" have been established as key development priorities for Azerbaijan through the year 2030. Azerbaijan is implementing a transition to green energy at national, regional, and global levels, accompanied by targeted reforms".
Chief Executive Officer of COP29 and Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Energy Elnur Soltanov noted in his speech that approximately 70 percent of emissions in Azerbaijan come from energy sector. "In general, greenhouse gas emissions contributing to surface temperature increases are primarily caused by the energy sector, accounting for 70 percent globally. About 20 percent of emissions come from agriculture, roughly 5 percent from industry, and around 3 to 4 percent from waste. About 70 percent of emissions in Azerbaijan are also related to the energy sector".
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the event, the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have signed a memorandum of understanding focusing on green construction in Azerbaijan.
Baku is hosting Climate Action Week for the first time from September 30 to October 4, 2024. The event will form the basis of the climate agenda ahead of COP29 in Baku in November.
The Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW 2024) will bring together key stakeholders from a range of fields such as politics, finance, trade, investment, science, arts, culture, civil society, and media.
The main themes of the event are “energy transition," “cities and urbanized environments," “water security," “food and agriculture," "SMEs,” and “green skills.”
The first half of the week (from September 30 through October 2) will focus on climate solutions involving government agencies, academia, and the private sector. The second half (October 3-4) will focus on science, education, arts, culture, and other sectors. The city will host numerous events as part of Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW 2024).
The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Azerbaijan in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,000-80,000 foreign guests.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A total of 198 countries are parties to the convention. COP takes place annually, unless the parties decide otherwise. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin with its secretariat in Bonn.
The conference will continue its work tomorrow.
