BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 10. The Clean Energy Center of the Organization of Turkic States (CECECO) can help countries accelerate the adoption of clean technologies, Azerbaijan’s Presidential Representative on Climate Issues and COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev said during the Baku Climate Action Week, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
Babayev noted that countries need to ensure energy security, affordability and reasonable energy costs simultaneously. “There is no single pathway that works everywhere. Our region includes countries with different energy systems, economic structures and development needs. This is why regional cooperation matters. Many challenges faced by countries are similar, including gaps in technology and financing, as well as issues related to standards, skills and institutional capacity. Clean energy centers can help countries address these challenges together rather than separately. A solution developed in one country can be adapted and replicated in another. Common approaches to standards and regulation can help create larger and more attractive markets,” he said.
According to Babayev, regional cooperation can also contribute to creating multinational opportunities and projects with greater scale and investment potential.
Speaking about energy efficiency, Babayev noted that rising temperatures and urban population growth would increase demand for cooling, creating additional pressure on electricity systems.
He said that more than 55% of the world’s population currently lives in cities, while this figure is expected to reach nearly 70% by 2050. At the same time, cities account for almost 75% of global energy consumption.
“Annual investments in electricity grids worldwide need to increase from around $400 billion to $600 billion. Azerbaijan is pleased that CECECO is located in Baku and is part of UNIDO’s global network. We would like to see CECECO develop into a strong regional platform. It can help countries identify common challenges, develop joint initiatives, connect projects with financing and accelerate the adoption of clean technologies in the region,” the COP29 President said.
Babayev stressed that the effectiveness of regional cooperation should ultimately be measured by the results it helps achieve. “We are ready to work with UNIDO, CECECO and our regional partners to turn this cooperation into concrete projects and results,” he added.
