BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 7. Energy efficiency certification for existing buildings may become mandatory in the future, Jahid Mikayilov, the Head of the Energy Efficiency Department at the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
Mikayilov made the statement at the roundtable discussion “Building Energy Performance Certification and Digital Building Passports,” held as part of Baku Climate Action Week.
“This is just the beginning. We plan to move forward step by step, and even today we cannot rule out that certification will become mandatory for existing buildings in the future. It is possible that in the future it will also apply to existing buildings,” he said.
Mikayilov noted that buildings are a major source of energy consumption worldwide, including in Azerbaijan, which is why the energy efficiency of existing buildings is also a key focus.
According to him, mandatory energy audits for buildings meeting certain criteria are currently required by law in Azerbaijan.
“If a residential building consumes 250 metric tons of oil equivalent or more in energy, or has a floor area of more than 10,000 square meters, such buildings must appoint their own energy manager. This can be done using existing staff or by hiring new personnel. At the same time, buildings must conduct an energy audit with the involvement of an independent third party,” the ministry representative stated.
In addition, Mikailov emphasized that addressing deficiencies identified by the energy audit, such as building insulation, is not currently a mandatory legal requirement.
According to him, it is expected that once the audit results are received, building owners will be motivated to implement appropriate measures to improve energy efficiency.
The fourth Climate Week (CW4) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held in Baku through September 11, hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan and organized by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Baku, which has become an important international platform for the climate agenda, is hosting discussions on the practical implementation of climate decisions, the expansion of international cooperation, and further strengthening global climate action ahead of COP31.
Representatives of governments and international organizations, experts, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society from various countries are expected to attend the events.
Baku Climate Week is designed as an international platform for discussions on combating climate change, the energy transition, renewable energy, sustainable development, and accelerating climate action.
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.
