Azerbaijan's civil society - non-governmental organizations (NGOs) issued a joint statement regarding the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29).
Report presents the statement:
“We, as representatives of the civil society of Azerbaijan, welcome the decision to hold the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in 2024 in Azerbaijan.
"We congratulate the people of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev personally on the occasion of this next historic success!
"For the first time in the entire post-Soviet space, the Republic of Azerbaijan will host this prestigious global event next year. The fact that the international community takes a unified position in this matter is a clear indicator of Azerbaijan's increasingly strong position and growing influence in the world. The fact that the international community entrusted the hosting of such a global event to the state of Azerbaijan shows the great respect and firm support of the policy of President Ilham Aliyev at the world level.
"We have no doubt that Azerbaijan will hold COP29 at the highest level. During the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Azerbaijan managed to win the support of 155 countries and 120 countries during the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, and its trust was fully justified, and the global initiatives put forward by President Ilham Aliyev won the sympathy of the international community.
"Azerbaijan is preparing to receive tens of thousands of foreign guests at the COP29 event. Such diversity and richness of the countries represented by the guests is unique to events as the UN General Assembly. We, as representatives of the Azerbaijani community, will be glad to see every guest in our homeland.
"Environmental and climate issues do not recognize national borders; they are universal in nature. It is very important for our planet—our common home—to be preserved and to make green thinking more dominant in every field. We share the same feelings and excitement in this field as the rest of the world.
"Azerbaijan, an oil and gas country, has identified the creation of green energy types and the transportation of green energy to world markets as a new priority direction of energy policy. The decision to hold COP29 in Baku also expresses global support for Azerbaijan's green energy policy. We, the representatives of the civil society, highly appreciate and fully support the purposeful activity of President Ilham Aliyev in this field as well.
"The export of electricity produced on the basis of renewable and green energy has led to the beginning of a new era in Azerbaijan's energy strategy. By 2030, the share of renewable energy in the installed capacity of electricity is expected to reach 30% in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's renewable energy potential is very high, according to statistics, the country's onshore wind and solar energy is 27 gigawatts, and wind energy in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea is 157 gigawatts.
"In 2020, immediately after the 44-day war, President Ilham Aliyev called Karabakh, East Zangazur, and Nakhchivan a "green energy region," and large-scale work was started in this direction.
"Hydropower potential is already being actively used in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Here, the capacity of hydroelectric power stations will be 500 megawatts in the coming years. This is a great contribution to the process of transitioning to green energy.
"Recently, in the speech of President Ilham Aliyev at the official opening ceremony of the Garadagh Solar Power Station, he announced that Azerbaijan is now moving rapidly towards the green agenda. We, as representatives of the civil society of Azerbaijan, welcome this and appreciate it as a contribution to the issues related to global climate change.
"The people of Azerbaijan have always been sensitive to environmental issues and have taken care of them. Love and care for nature are prominently expressed in national customs, traditions, and folklore.
"Becoming a clean environmental and "green growth" country has been defined as one of the national goals of the Azerbaijani state. The first meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council in Baku is another example of this political will. The Green Energy Corridor of Azerbaijan is already being talked about all over the world. Azerbaijan also signed an Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the field of green energy development and transmission with Georgia, Romania, and Hungary.
"Thus, due to its purposeful efforts, hard work, and success in this field, Azerbaijan fully deserves to host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).
"We, as representatives of the civil society of Azerbaijan, declare that we will spare no effort to hold COP29 at the highest level.
"At the same time, COP29 paves the way for peace, tranquility and serves well-being. The agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the COP, reached on the basis of direct communication without intermediaries, once again demonstrates the peaceful nature of this global event.
"COP themes are a force that mobilizes and unites humanity, various states, groups of states, alliances for a common goal. The COP is a platform for solidarity, sharing global responsibility, and cooperation.
"With this statement, we declare that we are ready to support positive initiatives related to COP29, to cooperate with international NGOs, and to provide all kinds of assistance to civil society representatives of foreign countries in this direction.”