BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. A significant memorandum was signed between Azerbaijan and Russia on the creation of a "mirror" carbon test site in the Kura-Araz Lowland during the second day of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), Trend reports.
The memorandum was signed following a session of the expert council under Russia's Ministry of Science. The agreement focuses on collaboration between Azerbaijan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Russia's Federal Scientific Center for Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Russian Federal Forestry Agency.
The signing ceremony was held in the presence of key officials, and Russia’s pavilion at COP29 marked the celebration of Science Day. During this event, several expert sessions took place, including one led by Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov, who participated in discussions on the creation of "mirror" carbon testing sites in Brazil, Azerbaijan, and Serbia. These testing sites aim to develop unified international protocols for monitoring and verifying climate data.
"A similar carbon testing ground will be established in Azerbaijan as well. Over the past year, two comprehensive studies on environmental issues have been conducted. Scientists are working towards specific goals, which are essential to the success of this initiative. We believe that for policymakers to make well-informed decisions, a robust scientific foundation is critical. In this context, carbon testing grounds are of paramount importance. We are analyzing methodologies used in different countries, adopting shared approaches. These methods must be verified, reliable, and scientifically sound to ensure that decision-makers can rely on the data. Our collaboration with Azerbaijan continues to grow stronger," the Russian minister noted.
Sergei Gulev, head of the Laboratory at the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, added that international cooperation on carbon testing was a key topic during the meeting.
"As part of this initiative, we have begun establishing ‘mirror’ carbon test sites in Russia and other countries, with significant activity focused in Brazil, India, Belarus, and China. The first carbon fiber test sites will be reviewed today and are likely to be approved. South Africa is next on our agenda.
We all face a common challenge—developing systems to monitor the flow of greenhouse gases that harm the climate and to better understand the environmental balance of specific regions. By advancing the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, we can begin removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere. Russia is progressing toward this solution, discovering promising approaches at each carbon test site and intensifying efforts to refine them.
We look forward to further strengthening our cooperation with Azerbaijan. I would also like to highlight that soon, a marine carbon test site will be established in the Caspian region, specifically in Dagestan. The Caspian is particularly interesting in this context, as the sea level is receding, uncovering vast areas of land, and no research has yet been conducted in these newly exposed zones," he added.
Larisa Belan, Director of the Decarbonization Technology Center in Bashkortostan, highlighted that the carbon testing site in her region has been operational since 2021, studying the ecosystem’s response to climate change.
“We are proud of our collaboration with Azerbaijan. Our testing site is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and we work using fully transparent methods recognized by the international community,” she added.
Marco Gutal, a professor at the University of East Sarajevo, shared his perspective on the human impact on climate change, emphasizing the role of carbon testing sites in addressing global climate issues.
"Our goal is to measure greenhouse gases and compare the data we collect with other ‘mirror’ test networks established in Russia and internationally. This allows us to monitor environmental conditions nearly anywhere in the world and provide insights that can help address global challenges. We aim to make a meaningful contribution to the global ecosystem and support efforts to combat climate change," he added.
The event then continued with a Q&A session.
To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) started in Baku on November 11. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. The COP29 chairmanship has launched 14 initiatives that include linkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals, including green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, action on green digital technologies, and other topics.
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