BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 4. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has prioritized climate action as a core focus of its operations, enhancing its funding capacity and mobilizing financial resources to support Azerbaijan's efforts at COP29, said ADB Country Director in Azerbaijan Sunniya Durrani-Jamal in an exclusive interview with Trend.
Durrani-Jamal highlighted Azerbaijan's commitment to making COP29 a significant event for global climate action, stating, "As the climate bank for Asia and the Pacific region, ADB has been proud to support the COP29 Presidency in both the negotiations track and Action Agenda." She emphasized ADB's ongoing commitment to providing comprehensive support to the COP Presidency through technical assistance, which includes capacity building, advisory services, and knowledge sharing on critical issues for COP29.
Since May 2024, ADB experts have been collaborating with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) to prepare Azerbaijan’s first National Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) required under the Paris Agreement, due by December 31, 2024. "ADB experts organized a workshop and provided hands-on support to carry out detailed data collection and validation of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Report and National Inventory Document (NID)," Durrani-Jamal explained.
The ADB has also closely supported the COP29 Presidency's Article 6 negotiations team, conducting four workshops for MENR and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to help them navigate international negotiations leading up to and during COP29, ensuring full operationalization of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
In addition, ADB is working with the COP29 Presidency on various Action Agenda initiatives across sectors, including just transition, urban development, and human development areas such as education, health, and green skills. Durrani-Jamal noted, "ADB has worked closely with the COP29 Presidency on developing the Baku Principles on Human Development for Climate Resilience".
During COP29, ADB plans to launch several initiatives aligned with the Presidency’s Action Agenda, including a Climate and Education Playbook and a Climate & Health portal. Durrani-Jamal stated, "Our ADB-led initiatives on just transition, NDC 3.0, Article 6, Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM), Nature Solution Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific, Community Resilience Partnership Program, and Climate and Health Initiative will be showcased at COP29".
ADB's commitment extends to regional climate action through the Central and West Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, where Azerbaijan plays a pivotal role. The CAREC Secretariat, hosted by ADB, has actively engaged with the COP29 Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment, and Trade. The CAREC Partnership, co-hosted by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy and ADB, is set to occur on Finance Day, November 14.
ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa will attend key events at COP29, including the World Leaders’ Climate Summit. As the current Chair of the MDB Climate Action Working Group, ADB plans to issue a joint statement with other multilateral development banks (MDBs) and announce its Climate Finance commitments.
Durrani-Jamal concluded, "ADB’s representation at the highest level at COP29 affirms our commitment as Asia and the Pacific’s climate bank and reinforces our position as a well-established development partner".