On November 20, an event was held within the framework of COP29 under the slogan "City for People in Baku: Transforming Urban Spaces for a Sustainable Future."
According to Report, Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency Deputy Chairman Heydar Rustamov delivered an opening speech, providing information about work done in Baku, improving ecosystem health, and ongoing and planned projects for sustainability. Transport expert Vusal Rajabli also shared his thoughts on the City for People concept.
The event continued with presentations and panel discussions about private sector support for ecological reforms in Baku. Naim Azizov, head of Bolt's ride-hailing service in Azerbaijan, noted that "Bolt is expanding collaborations to create comfortable and safe infrastructure for micro-mobility, especially bicycle and scooter paths. Also, starting in July 2024, new cars have been added to Baku's streets as part of Bolt's targeted plan to deploy electric vehicles across Europe.
Overall, nearly 700 electric vehicles operate in Azerbaijan. We can now report that 1% of monthly rides are conducted by electric vehicles (EVs).
Gulnara Aslanbayli, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan shared sustainability recommendations, including full VAT and import duty exemptions for EVs, the creation of 3,000 charging stations, and electrification of 30% of the bus fleet by 2030.
Seymur Niftaliyev, head of KPMG Law Azerbaijan, discussed several regulatory changes for mobility development in 2024, including a new parking system, updated requirements for taxis and taxi drivers, and electric vehicle usage. At the end of the meeting, special guest Guillaume Otrage from the COP29 Bike Team, who cycled over 6,500 km to Baku, shared his thoughts on sustainability and climate change.
The panel session was moderated by Maarifa Pashayeva, Head of Public Policy at Bolt.