President Ilham Aliyev reviewed the newly upgraded central square in Baku on Friday, as part of the preparations for the 29th summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).
The square has transformed into a human-centric, eco-friendly public transportation hub, ahead of the climate summit to be held in Baku on November 11-22.
The 3.5-hectare area no longer hosts the previous passenger vehicle access zone – it is now removed and replaced with modern bus, pedestrian, and bicycle lanes.
Around 2,300 square meters of area has been landscaped to include over 200 imported trees from Italy and more than 15,000 shrubs.
Additional upgrades include a new renewable energy-powered lighting system, hi-tech bus stops, and four charging stations for electric buses.
This massive transformation in one of Baku’s central squares reaffirms the Azerbaijani government’s strong commitment to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) focusing on the human welfare and preservation of the microclimate in the urban environment.
Earlier, President Aliyev reviewed the soon-to-complete preparations for the COP29 global climate summit at the Baku Olympic Stadium – the main venue for the event.
At the stadium, the major events hall, dubbed “Nizami”, as well as COP29 Green Zone and the Media Center are being constructed alongside hundreds of zones of relevant designations. The World Leaders' Climate Action Summit is scheduled in the initial days of the conference.
Azerbaijan was selected unanimously as the host country for COP29 at the COP28 plenary session on December 11, 2023, following collective support from other Eastern European countries.
Azerbaijan announced 2024 as the “Green World Solidarity Year” seeking a global action to provide equal opportunities for all to resist the challenges posed by climate change. Around 80,000 guests, including top-level state and government officials are expected to arrive in Azerbaijan’s capital for the major climate event.
The COP29 Presidency’s strategy focuses on two main pillars: Enhancing ambition and enabling action. The first pillar emphasizes ambitious national plans and transparency, while the second highlights the importance of finance to transform ambition into concrete actions, reduce emissions, adapt to climate change, and address loss and damage.
In support of these goals, Azerbaijan recently announced the launch of a $1 billion Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF). The fund will be capitalized by contributions from fossil fuel-producing countries and companies, with Azerbaijan as a founding contributor. Half of the capital will be allocated to climate projects in developing countries, promoting clean energy technologies, energy efficiency, and the climate resilience of vulnerable populations.
The COP29 Presidency also introduced the “COP truce appeal,” aiming to promote peace, dialogue, and reconciliation globally.
President Aliyev earlier said that hosting the world’s largest climate summit, COP29, in November will allow Azerbaijan to mobilize national and global efforts for addressing the negative outcomes of climate change.
Baku has reaffirmed its commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent by 2030 and further to 40 percent by 2050. Signing the Paris Agreement in April 2016, Azerbaijan committed to its legally binding framework on climate change.
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