BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 12. Speaking at the COP31 session in Türkiye, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Teymur Musayev praised the host country's presidency for its focus on dialogue, consensus-building and the implementation of decisions.
According to the Cabinet of Ministers, Musayev said Azerbaijan had also ensured an inclusive process during its COP29 presidency, while the historic Baku Finance Goal adopted at the conference had laid an important foundation for global climate action.
He noted that Azerbaijan's efforts in this area had continued beyond COP29. In particular, Azerbaijan and Brazil had jointly developed the Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T, outlining ways to scale up annual climate finance to $1.3 trillion by 2035.
Meanwhile, under the COP Presidencies Troika, Azerbaijan had worked with the United Arab Emirates and Brazil on the Roadmap to Mission 1.5°C, as well as with Australia, Brazil and Türkiye on the Belém Mission to 1.5°C.
In addition, the 13th World Urban Forum, held in Baku, and the UN Climate Week, which brought together representatives from more than 140 countries, had once again demonstrated Azerbaijan's commitment to multilateral cooperation and the global climate agenda.
Musayev also highlighted concrete steps taken by Azerbaijan domestically.
He noted that the deadline for achieving the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% under the country's third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) had been brought forward by 15 years, to 2035.
The recently presented Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy, meanwhile, sets a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
Azerbaijan is also preparing to submit its second Biennial Transparency Report ahead of the established deadline, in line with the transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement, he said.
Describing the energy transition as a key pillar of Azerbaijan's climate policy, Musayev said the country's installed renewable energy capacity had reached 2.17 gigawatts, accounting for 21.5% of total electricity generation capacity. Under signed agreements, Azerbaijan plans to develop an additional 6 GW of solar and wind power capacity by 2030, marking significant progress towards exceeding global renewable energy targets.
At the same time, efforts are continuing to reduce methane emissions, improve industrial energy efficiency, promote environmentally friendly transport and ensure sustainable waste management.
Referring to the direct impact of recent climate disasters on people's lives, the deputy prime minister stressed the importance of ensuring that developing countries have access to financial resources and technologies.
He warned that calling for more ambitious targets without first fulfilling existing commitments could undermine confidence in the multilateral climate process.
"Therefore, the main priority must be the full implementation of decisions already adopted, particularly the Baku Finance Goal," Musayev said.
Concluding his remarks, Musayev said Türkiye's COP31 presidency offered an important opportunity to move from commitments to tangible results.
He reaffirmed Azerbaijan's readiness to work closely with brotherly Türkiye and all other parties, building on the legacy of the Baku and Belém processes.
