Azerbaijan's climate commitments: Conducting COP-29 in the context of regional diplomacy

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev convened a meeting on Friday to discuss preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29), to be held in Azerbaijan in 2024, according to information posted on the official website of the head of state.

President Aliyev expressed Baku's readiness to host COP-29 during the forum in Baku on December 6, where he stated that Azerbaijan is actively working on this idea. Recognizing some of the current problems, Aliyev expressed optimism about a solution, stressing that holding the conference could be a significant step towards peace with Armenia. The President stressed the importance of Azerbaijan's investments in renewable energy sources as evidence of the country's commitment and responsibility. It is noteworthy that he noted that Azerbaijan could export an additional 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe by generating electricity from renewable sources.

As a result of the diplomatic developments, on December 7, Azerbaijan and Armenia announced the exchange of prisoners, strengthening their joint commitment to achieving lasting peace in the region. In a joint statement, Armenia withdrew its candidacy to host COP-29 as a sign of support for Azerbaijan's bid to host the conference. According to the statements of the administrations of both countries, the mutual exchange of prisoners was seen as a historic opportunity to establish peace in the region.

Aliyev linked the support of Azerbaijan's bid to participate in the COP by 29 countries belonging to the Group of Eastern European States with a gesture of friendship during the opening ceremony of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector.

On December 13, the participating countries of the COP-28 climate summit approved the final document proposed by the United Arab Emirates, advocating the abandonment of fossil fuels by 2050. The plan aims to limit temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius and highlights a phased transition away from fossil fuels to achieve zero emissions by 2050. However, the project has been criticized for the lack of clear commitments to phase out fossil fuels, which leaves room for potential loopholes.

Despite these concerns, the European Commission's European Commissioner for Climate Action In trusteeship Hoekstra regarded the document as a significant step towards ending the use of fossil fuels. The report assumed that key financial issues related to climate issues would be addressed over the next two years, and conferences were planned in Azerbaijan and Brazil.—0--