ISLAMABAD - Azerbaijan’s Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources and President-Designate of COP-29, Mukhtar Babayev, emphasized the importance of the upcoming COP-29 meeting in Baku as a platform for global dialogue on pressing climate issues. Speaking at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) seminar titled “Seminar on Building Climate Consensus for COP29: The Road to BAKU,” Babayev highlighted the need for inclusive discussions on adaptation plans and the biennial transparency report (BTR) to foster concerted mitigation efforts. Babayev outlined efforts to engage various stakeholders, including civil society, youth, private sector, and political leadership, to achieve consensus-based decisions at COP-29. He identified critical topics for discussion, such as mobilization of the loss and damage fund, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and other issues like land degradation, plastic waste, agriculture, and health, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these issues with climate change.
The Minister stressed Azerbaijan’s commitment to amplifying the voices of vulnerable countries and facilitating regional and international cooperation to address climate challenges effectively. He announced initiatives to organize training workshops for capacity building in developing countries and the submission of biennial transparency reports to the UNFCCC.
In addition, Babayev highlighted the importance of collaboration with Pakistani civil society and announced plans for Azeri climate champions to share initiatives and expertise with their Pakistani counterparts, particularly in renewable energy transition. Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam, reiterated Pakistan’s support for Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP-29 and emphasized climate justice as a guiding principle of Pakistan’s climate policy.
Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of SDPI, emphasized the significance of the COP forum as a global platform for addressing environmental degradation and enhancing collaboration. He highlighted Pakistan’s efforts in climate finance mobilization by local communities and called for increased support from developed countries.
Ambassador Khazar Farhadov briefed participants on Azerbaijan’s vision for COP-29 and efforts towards an inclusive global climate conference. The session, moderated by Zainab Naeem and featuring presentations from Dr. Khalid Walid on energy transition and Dr. Shafqat Munir, concluded with gratitude to the Azerbaijan Minister, Ambassador, and SDPI for organizing the seminar.
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