BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 7. Climate disasters may further weaken vulnerable economies, therefore, environmental cooperation must remain a bridge rather than become a new dividing line, COP29 President and Representative of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues Mukhtar Babayev said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
He made the remarks during the panel discussion titled “From Baku to COP31: Sustaining Momentum in a Fragmented World” held as part of the Fourth Climate Week of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (CW4) in Baku.
He noted that Azerbaijan’s experience in Baku demonstrated how difficult achieving consensus can be. “Countries came to COP29 with very different priorities and expectations, but nevertheless they remained at the negotiating table.
This culture of mutual dialogue is of critical importance. As we move towards COP31, we must preserve it. We must also have a clear position on the alternatives. If international climate cooperation weakens, climate change will not slow down because of this. We will simply face stronger impacts with weaker tools for managing them,” Babayev said.
He stressed that recent climate-related disasters around the world have once again demonstrated the growing human and economic costs of extreme events.
Babayev added that this is one of the reasons why Baku Climate Action Week is important. “This platform gives us an opportunity to address difficult questions between negotiations, maintain dialogue and bring international commitments closer to implementation,” he said.
The COP29 President also highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation on climate issues and ensuring that shared resources become drivers of stability and prosperity rather than sources of tension.
The Fourth Climate Week of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (CW4) is being held in Baku until September 11, hosted by Azerbaijan and organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.
Baku, which has become an important international platform for the climate agenda, is hosting discussions on the practical implementation of climate decisions, expansion of international cooperation and strengthening global climate action ahead of COP31.
Representatives of governments, international organizations, experts, financial institutions, the private sector and civil society from various countries are expected to participate in the events.
Baku Climate Week serves as an international platform for discussions on climate change, energy transition, renewable energy, sustainable development and accelerating climate action.
The events are expected to further strengthen Baku’s active role in the global climate agenda and contribute to enhancing international climate cooperation ahead of COP31.
