BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 9. Conditions for international cooperation on climate issues have become more difficult than they were 10 years ago, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
Mukhtar Babayev, Representative of the President of Azerbaijan for Climate Affairs and President of COP29, made the remarks during Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026).
Over the past decade, the world has faced a pandemic, conflicts, energy shocks, inflation and growing geopolitical competition, he said.
“Military spending worldwide is now approaching $3 trillion a year. At the same time, the impacts of climate change have become more visible and costly. Extreme heat is putting our cities under increasing strain, droughts are placing pressure on water and food systems, while floods and wildfires can destroy the results of decades of development within hours or days,” Babayev said.
He noted that climate action cannot compete with national priorities but should instead become part of their implementation.
“The energy transition must also strengthen energy security and energy affordability. Adaptation must protect economies, infrastructure and communities. Climate-resilient agriculture must contribute to food and water security,” he said.
According to Babayev, successive COP conferences have established an extensive global climate architecture comprising targets, plans, institutions and financial mechanisms.
“However, the gap between agreements and their implementation remains too wide,” he said.
The Azerbaijani presidential representative emphasized that COP conferences can set direction and create political momentum, but implementation takes place through national policies, investment decisions, financial institutions and businesses.
“The question is not whether we need the COP process — we absolutely need it. The question is how to ensure that the COP process drives much more action beyond the conference itself,” Babayev said.
