Mukhtar Babayev: COP29 to prioritize drinking water challenges

The COP29 will primarily focus on financial matters, Mukhtar Babayev, the COP29 President-designate and Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, said in an interview with Real TV, Report informs.

Babayev stated that the harmonization of articles regulating the carbon market, as outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, will also be on the agenda. While progress has been made in several areas, discussions are ongoing.

The minister emphasized that the most critical discussions will take place during the final days of COP29, often requiring an additional few days for negotiations. He also mentioned that the Loss and Damage Fund will be a topic of discussion at the November conference.

The president-designate also noted that Azerbaijan will strive to bring positions closer on many issues. "Of course, agreement may not be reached on some matters, but we will try to achieve it," Babayev said.

The minister highlighted the diversity of topics under discussion, with drinking water issues and melting glaciers being among the main themes. "These are very serious issues. Countries need to take appropriate adaptation measures because as warming continues, this process will become even more intense. Therefore, proper use of water should be a serious topic. This applies to all countries. We will open a large platform on this topic in November," Babayev emphasized.