BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 9. As global energy demand rises, a key task of climate leadership is to balance energy security, affordability, industrial competitiveness and emissions reductions, Yelena Akoltseva, vice president for Europe and the CIS at Baker Hughes, said, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
She made the remarks during Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026).
She said the development of digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and data centers, population growth and rapid technological advances were driving energy demand faster than previously projected. “When we start the discussion about climate leadership, we first need to focus on how we can meet growing energy demand with high reliability, affordability and lower emissions,” Akoltseva said.
According to her, creating sustainable economies, developed communities and food security worldwide requires greater capabilities from industry. “This is the implementation issue that many of you have mentioned today. That is why industry needs to respond with innovative technological solutions, large-scale processes and continuous improvements,” she emphasized.
Akoltseva noted that both conventional and emerging energy sources would be used to meet growing energy demand. “Natural gas will remain one of the key sources of scalable and flexible power generation for many years. But we need to ensure that it is used as efficiently as possible,” the vice president said.
She added that demand for oil would also remain amid high energy demand. “Our responsibility is to ensure that these energy sources are produced as efficiently as possible and with lower carbon emissions. The key issue for climate leadership is to focus on how emissions can be reduced across the energy value chain,” Akoltseva said.
According to her, ahead of COP31, the focus should not only be on setting new targets but also on creating the conditions needed to achieve emissions reductions at scale. “The priority should be to create the conditions that enable emissions reductions to be implemented at scale. This requires investment, technology deployment, modern infrastructure, reliable data and policies that incentivize low-carbon outcomes,” she said.
Akoltseva emphasized that progress on climate issues depends not on choosing between economic growth and decarbonization, but on aligning the two. “Climate progress will not be achieved by choosing between growth and decarbonization. It will come from bringing together energy security, affordability, industrial competitiveness and emissions reductions. This is where sustainable progress is achieved, and this is what the next stage of climate leadership should focus on,” she added.
The Baker Hughes executive also said Azerbaijan was an important example in this regard. “During COP29, in Azerbaijan, we signed several agreements with SOCAR on emissions reduction and geothermal energy development. This is a key element of the implementation issue I mentioned today,” Akoltseva 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.
