Details added: first version posted at 09:50
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 7. The first day of the fourth Climate Week (CW4) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, hosted by Azerbaijan and organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has concluded in Baku, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
Baku, which has become an important international platform for the climate agenda, will host discussions on the practical implementation of climate decisions, expanding international cooperation, and further strengthening global climate action ahead of COP31.
The fourth Climate Week and Baku Climate Action Week are featuring a series of sessions, panel discussions, and other events focusing on combating climate change, climate finance, sustainable development, and accelerating climate action.
Highlighting the decline in the level of the Caspian Sea in his speech at the opening ceremony, COP29 President and Representative of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues, Mukhtar Babayev, said that this is becoming more and more of a concern for the region every year.
He noted that Azerbaijan has worked to elevate this challenge to higher levels on the regional and international agenda and to strengthen dialogue among the Caspian littoral states.
"Our task must be to ensure that shared waters do not become a source of tension, but rather a driver of stability and shared prosperity for our people. For Azerbaijan, the climate change agenda has received the closest political attention.
The risks of climate change for vulnerable countries, especially small island states and least developed countries, are very high. That's why we are here, and we want to achieve joint results this week.
Energy is one of the key issues facing us this week. We welcome the COP31 Bureau's focus on implementation, including electrification as a key driver of the energy transition, but the transition is also about the economy, jobs and people. It must be just, orderly and equitable, reflect national circumstances, and be supported by finance and technology.
During the Baku Climate Action Week, we'll face crucial questions, from finance, energy and adaptation to business, innovation, sustainability and just transition,” added Babayev.
Azerbaijani Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov noted in his speech that by the end of this year, wind energy production is expected to increase by about 6 times, and solar energy production by more than 26%.
The minister said that recent energy crises, as well as the growing energy demand created by electrification, digitalization, artificial intelligence and data centers, have shown that a hasty rejection of fossil fuels doesn’t mean a successful energy transition.
“The main issue is the optimal pace of building a clean, safe and sustainable energy system that will allow solving all environmental problems. In this new reality, along with the creation of new generation capacities, the development of electricity networks, energy storage systems, energy efficiency and interconnection of energy systems are equally important,” Shahbazov emphasized.
According to him, from 2032, Azerbaijan will begin operating two green energy corridors.
The minister said that another strategic priority is to bring green energy to international markets through regional and interregional connectivity.
Shahbazov emphasized that the feasibility study for the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor with a total capacity of 3,900 MW has already brought these projects to a real level:
"It’s expected that both the first stage of this corridor and the Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor will be commissioned from 2032.
At the same time, concrete measures are being taken to develop new green energy corridors in the direction of Türkiye and Europe through Georgia, the Zangezur corridor and the Nakhchivan region of Azerbaijan. Thanks to the developed, diversified energy relations, it will contribute to strengthening interregional energy security and reducing emissions beyond the borders of Azerbaijan - in a wider geography," he added.
Representatives of governments and international organizations, experts, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society from various countries have attended the events.
The events will further strengthen Baku’s active role in the global climate agenda and make an important contribution to strengthening international climate cooperation ahead of COP31.
