Tazeen Akhtar / Islamabad
Climate changes have played havoc in many countries of the World including Pakistan in last few years. Green house gases and Carbon emissions have been declared responsible for the destruction by the heat waves, floods and droughts in last two decades in different parts of the globe. Temperature of the earth is rising that has altered the routine of weathers and rainfalls causing floods that take lives and destroy the homes and infrastructure. Droughts create sand and dust storms. It affect the food production and scarcity of water as well. These impacts can be reduced only by controlling the temperature of the earth. It requires us collectively strive to shape the future of our planet.
Whistle Blower
Global temperatures rising have already hit 1.1°C, rising due to increasing global greenhouse gas emissions, which reached record highs in 2021. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ,The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. The Convention has near universal membership (198 Parties) and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement.The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global average temperature rise this century as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
COP29 @ Baku
The United Nations Climate Change Conference is held every year with the title of COP to seek the strategies to save the humanity from disasters of climate change. COP28 was held in UAE last year while COP29 will be hosted by Republic of Azerbaijan at capital city Baku situated at the coast line of Caspian Sea.COP29 will continue from 11 to 22 November 2024. Thus Azerbaijan is the incoming Presidency of this international activity. Around 70-80 thousand foreign guests are expected to attend the conference.The “Troika” mechanism among the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan and Brazil regarding the COP is a commendable step.
The Goals Set @ COP28 for COP29
1-‘Beginning of the End’ for the Fossil Fuel era
2- New funding for loss and damage
3-Enhancing global efforts to strengthen resilience
4-Linking climate action with nature conservation
5-Ramping up practical climate solution
The conference also saw several announcements to boost the resilience of food and public health systems, and to reduce emissions related to agriculture and methane.
Azerbaijan toward Green Energy
Azerbaijan is preparing to follow the targets and to move forward with concrete results in the meanwhile, the set dates of COP29 arrive. Fossil fuel (Oil and gas) is the largest export of Azerbaijan as it was planned soon after the independence for the economic and financial stability of the republic by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev. That was only when the same was the one and only option but now the state is shifting to alternative, renewable – green energy.
For a country that has rich fossil fuel resources , taking the second option and stepping into non fossil fuel sector is harder than any other country but Azerbaijan is successfully doing it. The state has taken measures to adopting laws, rules, and designing programs related to transition to green energy and to combat climate change in last few years.
The National Leader, Heydar Aliyev shaped the financial future of the state with oil and gas resources that helped Azerbaijan to secure financial stability as well as economic independence and President Aliyev outlined renewable energy policy as the Caspian Sea offers significant potential in achieving these green goals.
Azerbaijan is focusing on green energy transition and engaged in activities meant for mitigation of the impacts of climate change that clearly indicates the importance the state attaches to its commitments to climate actions. Proof is the significant increase in the proportion of renewable energy sources within total installed electricity capacity, targeting to achieve 30% by 2030 that is equal to the level in 1990. Nationally Determined Contributions this year set a longer-term target of 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“The Green World Solidarity Year” in Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev has his own vision on environment, climate change and green world. He declared 2024 as the the “Green World Solidarity Year” in Azerbaijan. It expresses the resolve of the Azerbaijan nation to global climate action. The dedication towards the topic demonstrated by the leader of the state indicates that a lot of home work has already been done that will be of great help for Azerbaijan in hosting the COP29.
“The Caspian Sea potential of Azerbaijan is 157 gigawatts, which is based on the assessment of International Finance Corporation. And we already started this important journey. And we plan to use renewables maybe in the 10-year time at the maximum degree and reduce the consumption of natural gas domestically,”
President Aliyev Aliyev shared in an interview.
President underscored the dedication of Azerbaijan to global climate action during the 10th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting on 01 March this year. He referred to inauguration of Azerbaijan’s first large-scale solar power plant last October, a 230-megawatt facility constructed by Masdar, a leading renewable energy company from the UAE.
ECO Friendly Rehabilitation in Newly Liberated Territories
The extensive post-conflict rehabilitation, reconstruction, and reintegration efforts in the liberated territories are based on climate-friendly, environmentally clean technologies, as well as “smart” and “green” approaches to transform these territories into “Carbon Neutral” zone by 2050, marked by innovative approaches such as the establishment of “green energy” zones, sustainable agriculture, eco-friendly transport, smart cities, smart villages, and reforestation programs covering thousands of hectares of land.
Azerbaijan – Climate Conventions/Agreements
Azerbaijan had recently signed the “Global Methane Pledge”, which aims to reduce the volume of methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2020.Azerbaijan ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995. The country acceded to the first global climate change protocol of the Convention, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, in 2000. The Kyoto Protocol limits emissions of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming.
Azerbaijan later confirmed the commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 35 percent by 2030 and bring it to 40 percent by 2050.
Baku signed the 2015 Paris Agreement, a legally binding treaty on climate change, in April 2016 and has since been actively working to deliver on the issues prioritized by the government.
Experience of Heading International ORGs
Azerbaijan has successful experience of Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement.The state has active representation in other international organizations. The South Caucasian country has played a role of a bridge between South ,North and East, West. Therefore it is sure that the country would make every effort to achieve global solidarity and consensus at COP29.
President-Designate of COP29 & International Interactions
The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev is the President-Designate of COP29. He visited Türkiye, Germany, the UAE and Kenya to discuss issues arising from the country’s COP29 chairmanship. He is expected to conduct more visits and that the next visit would be to China.
COP28, Climate Change & Nuclear Energy
Azerbaijan’s Preparations for COP29
Azerbaijan’s level of preparedness had received a positive assessment from the UN.The Presidency and the incoming Presidency will engage Parties throughout the year at ministerial, Heads of Delegation and technical levels, as appropriate, to lay the ground work needed to deliver a successful COP 29.To ensure coherence, the Presidencies will work closely with the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies, with the support of the secretariat, on a common vision towards COP 29.
The “Green World Solidarity Year” had already been approved while the Action Plan for COP29 is under preparation. Now an alignment between the two action plans will be ensured.
The Organizational Committee for COP29 held its session in Jan 2024 with a responsibility of implementing and overseeing the agenda, begin preparations for the conference in a befitting manner. Mr. Samir Nuriyev is the Chairman who is the Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic. It clearly mentions that President Ilham Aliyev is looking after the arrangements and preparations from his office directly.
The Organizing Committee had been expanded to incorporate Members of Parliament and representatives from civil society in order to ensure inclusivity. President Ilham Aliyev has identified the key directions and framework of the COP29 Chairmanship agenda.The Committee is working on finalization of Azerbaijan’s COP29 priorities and initiatives, as well as contacts with various counterparts.
The organizational, logistical and transport issues and other preparatory works.Parliamentary diplomacy , as well as the activities of the Milli Majlis regarding COP29.Support from NGOs, Public Health Services, Environmental Protectors,civil society, private and public sector are also being seen by the committee. All officials and ORGs have been assigned with their specific tasks to accomplish.
Azerbaijan in COP28
How keen is Azerbaijan to take climate action following the path set by UN can be seen in the presence of President Ilham at COP28 in Dubai. He met with Secretary General UN Mr. Antonio Guterres and President of UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Mukhtar Babayev, the representative of Azerbaijan in COP28 shared the measures taken by the state so far in his address to COP28 in UAE.
Azerbaijan is enhancing energy efficiency, transitioning to low-emission transportation, introducing innovative solutions in urban transport systems, adopting low-carbon clean technologies in industry, improving waste management systems, and increasing forests.
Azerbaijan is doing a lot at her side but matter of fact is that global problem demands global solutions. Azerbaijan says that climate is common issue but the responsibilities should be differentiated between the countries according to nature and impact of climate change there. Required financial support and technology transfer are essential to accelerate climate action.
Climate Change and Pakistan
Pakistan produces less than 1% of the world’s carbon yet is suffering the biggest consequences of climate change that is a tyranny of its own kind . Pakistan is facing highest climate disaster risk in the whole world. in 2019 Inform Risk Index, Pakistan was 18th worst hit country in 191 countries. With respect to multidimensional poverty, the ranking is 37 in 191.
The floods, Tropical Cyclones and Droughts have caused huge damages to infrastructure and lives in Pakistan. The economic impacts are counted in more than 24 Billion PKR in Floods of 2022 only. The climate disasters pose challenges for public health, food security and affects the society as a whole.
Pakistan has sensitized the international community at COPs about its least share in Carbon emissions with the worst impacts on its development. COP29 will provide another opportunity for Pakistan to participate and draw attention of the countries towards the compensation by the states that have the largest emissions from their industries. The industrialized states pledged nearly $10 Billion in the Geneva conference that Pakistan is still looking forward to receive.
UNDP Resident Representative Appreciates Pakistan’s Concrete Measures to Mitigate Adverse Impacts of Climate Change
