The National: Azerbaijan gears up to host COP29

Azerbaijan, a nation rich in fossil fuels, faces the challenging task of successfully hosting the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), Report informs, citing an article published in the daily newspaper The National.

The article notes that the country is set to welcome representatives from nearly 200 countries in an attempt to tackle the pressing issue of climate change.

The article reads that hosting a COP is no easy feat, with negotiations often stretching late into the night.

It notes that despite criticism from Western media regarding the event being held in a country with a long history of oil production, Azerbaijan's leadership is confident in achieving the set objectives at COP29.

The author reminds that President Ilham Aliyev hit out at the "broad, coordinated media attack" from the West, stating, "We tried to explain it is not our fault we have oil and gas. You should not judge us by that. You should judge us on how we use the revenue – how we diversify our economy; how we act on unemployment and poverty. We are now less under fire but we understand that the closer to the event, the fire will grow."

The author of the article notes that Azerbaijan has made significant strides in renewable energy, demonstrating its readiness for a green transition.

The article further goes that the massive 230-megawatt Garadagh solar power plant, built by UAE's Masdar and opened last year, is the country's first industrial-scale project of its kind. The plant will provide electricity to around 110,000 households and aims to reduce environmental emissions by 200,000 tons annually.