BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 9. It is essential to link climate ambitions with concrete action across all sectors of the economy and bring governments together with businesses, investors, cities, civil society and other non-state actors, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
Christian Mensah, a Ghanaian and former secretary of the UN-Habitat Governing Bodies and head of intergovernmental relations, made the remarks at Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026).
He said adopting climate commitments was not enough, adding that the key challenge was creating the conditions needed to turn those commitments into concrete action.
“Our role is to link climate ambitions with action across all sectors of the economy. To do this, we bring governments together with businesses, investors, cities, civil society and other non-state actors. As UN Climate Champions, we are here. Our responsibility is not only to promote commitments but also to create the conditions for turning those commitments into action,” he said.
Mensah noted that COP29 could make a difference in this regard, while Baku Climate Action Week was important for ensuring the continuity of the results achieved.
“Ensuring implementation requires continuity, and it is important to keep people at the center. We can make as many political statements as we want, but if they do not affect people’s lives, then we have not achieved results,” Mensah emphasized.
He said that alongside investment, partnerships were also essential for climate action.
“Investment is not simply a relationship between a donor and a recipient. We also need to find ways to finance projects through local capacities. We should not always wait for the arrival of the huge $1.3 trillion in financing,” he said.
According to Mensah, climate action cannot advance through governments’ efforts alone.
“Governments create an enabling environment and set the political direction. Businesses invest, cities implement, financial institutions mobilize capital, innovators develop solutions, and civil society helps ensure that action is inclusive and accountable,” he said.
He emphasized the need to move away from an approach centered on individual conferences toward a model based on continuous dialogue and implementation in climate leadership.
“A child in Sudan should know why we are going to Antalya. That child should not simply read in a newspaper that people in suits held a major meeting in Antalya and enjoyed the beach. That child should know that the decisions made there affect their farm, their ability to attend school, flood prevention and their life in general,” Mensah said.
He also highlighted the importance of the zero-waste approach in climate action.
“Implementing the zero-waste concept shows that implementation is ultimately about changing systems. Waste is not only an environmental issue. We approach it as an issue of resource efficiency, the economy, business and communities,” Mensah said.
According to him, a circular economy requires businesses to rethink their approach to production and consumption, cities to improve waste management systems, investors to finance new technologies and infrastructure, and citizens to participate in behavioral change.
Mensah also praised Türkiye’s efforts under its Zero Waste initiative.
“Türkiye, under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has achieved significant success in this area. That is why zero waste can become an important part of global climate discussions,” he said.
The third day of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026) is underway.
The third day’s program focuses on such issues as moving from climate commitments to concrete action, climate finance, youth participation in climate processes, artificial intelligence and climate technologies, energy efficiency, methane emissions reduction, water resource management and the protection of cultural heritage.
Representatives of governments and state institutions from various countries, international organizations, experts, financial institutions, the private sector and civil society are participating in the events.
Baku Climate Action Week is being held for the third time and, for the first time this year, is taking place in parallel with the UNFCCC Climate Week. A series of sessions, panel discussions and other events on climate change, climate finance, sustainable development and accelerating climate action will be held as part of the Fourth Climate Week and Baku Climate Action Week.
Baku Climate Action Week 2026 will continue through Sept. 11.
