Azerbaijan to Bridge Gaps Between Developed and Developing Nations at COP29

At the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, the main event of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s strong commitment and ambitions as the host of this global climate gathering.

President Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan would strive to find a common understanding between developed and developing nations, as well as between the Global South and the Global North. He pointed to Azerbaijan’s effective four-year leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement – the second-largest international organization after the United Nations – as proof of the country’s extensive experience in leading global initiatives.

“Azerbaijan is also an active member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which unites almost 60 countries. Azerbaijan has signed agreements and adopted declarations on strategic partnership with 10 members of the European Union. All this allows us to think that we may be very helpful and useful in building bridges between different important actors on the issue of climate change. Azerbaijan is an active supporter of multilateralism. At the same time, we play an active role in intercultural dialogue,” President Aliyev said in his opening speech at the COP29 World Leaders Climate Action Summit.

On November 11, COP29 worldwide climate conference kicked off in Baku, Azerbaijan. The country was unanimously confirmed as the host during the COP28 plenary session on December 11, 2023, with collective support from the global community.

COP29 aims to address critical global climate challenges, focusing on climate finance, mitigation, and adaptation. The two-week conference is attended by 72,000 registered participants from 196 countries, including 80 presidents, vice-presidents, and prime ministers, providing a significant platform for dialogue and action on climate change.

President Aliyev said Azerbaijan remains committed to facilitating climate action and the green agenda of the country addresses unlocking the vast technical potential for renewable energy, which is estimated at 135 gigawatts onshore and 157 gigawatts offshore. The country has taken significant steps in leveraging this potential, including investments by UAE’s Masdar 230-megawatt (MW) solar power plant, the biggest in the region. Moreover, ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia is currently constructing a wind power station with a potential capacity of 240 MW.

“During COP29, an agreement will be signed with bp from the UK to build a 240-megawatt solar power station in the district of Jabrayil, which was liberated from Armenian occupation four years ago. This project will provide decarbonization of one of the biggest oil and gas terminals in the world, the Sangachal terminal,” the president of Azerbaijan announced.

According to him, Azerbaijan plans to build solar, wind, and hydro power stations of approximately six gigawatts by 2030. Overall, the country has signed contracts and MoUs for 10 gigawatts of renewable energy projects.

The country’s green agenda also spans different internal regions, including Nakhchivan, Karabakh (Garabagh), and East Zangazur regions, which have been declared green energy zones.

A total of 10,000 MW of alternative energy potential have been uncovered in the Karabakh (Garabagh) and East Zangazur regions following their liberation in 2020. These regions hold almost all types of renewable resources, including hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal energy.

After the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the districts of Fuzuli, Jabrayil, and Zangilan rank second in solar power potential, with solar radiation per square meter in these areas reported at 1600-1700 kWh per year and a total solar capacity estimated at 7,200 MW.

Wind energy potential is notably high in Kalbajar and Lachin districts, where the average annual wind speed reaches 10 meters per second, with an estimated capacity of 2,000 MW in the Karabakh region’s mountainous areas. Additionally, Kalbajar, Lachin, and Shusha districts hold significant thermal water resources, with daily output reaching 4,000-5,000 cubic meters.

The economic potential of green energy sources in Azerbaijan stands at 27 gigawatts, which includes 3 gigawatts of wind energy, 23 gigawatts of solar energy, 380 megawatts of bioenergy potential, and 520 megawatts of mountain river potential, according to the Energy Ministry.

Azerbaijan ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995. The country acceded to the first global climate change protocol of the Convention, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, in 2000. The Kyoto Protocol limits emissions of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming.

Azerbaijan later confirmed the commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 35 percent by 2030 and bring it to 40 percent by 2050.