COP29 President Baku and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mukhtar Babayev said that COP29 will bring together East and West, North and South, developing and developed, public and private, governments and non-governmental organizations on the common issue of climate change and global warming. . The international conference in Baku is an opportunity for everyone to discuss the challenge, share ideas, experience and join forces to overcome this threat to the whole world.
He said this at the “Climate Consensus Building Seminar for COP29 – Road to Baku” organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Islamabad on May 11, 2024. Sustainable Development Institute Pakistan SDPI conducted the seminar at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Studies PIPS Islamabad.
Also present were Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Coordinator for Climate Change and Environmental Protection Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Khazar Ambassador Nadir Oglu Farhadov and SDPI Executive Director Dr. Abid Qayyum Sulehri who addressed the participants.
He said that every sector of life is related to climate, including water, soil, agriculture, food security and health, etc. Snow reservoirs are decreasing, affecting agriculture and social life.
Highlighting the importance of the private sector for climate action, Mr. Mukhtar briefly shared his interactions with NGOs and the media during his visits to various countries in connection with the COP29 arrangements. The COP29 Secretariat also has private organizations on board in the preparations. But representatives of the private sector from NGOs and the press, present at the seminar, were deprived of a handshake with him, let alone an exchange of ideas welcomed by the COP29 team.
The seminar was managed by SDPI and a networking session was also mentioned on the invitation, but it was skipped and the NGO members and the press could not meet Mr. Mukhtar for even 5 minutes. This was noticed and not liked by the representative who attended the seminar only to interact with the COP29 team.
In his speech, Mr. Mukhtar Babayev shared the history of the establishment of the fossil fuel industry in his country in the mid-1990s. It was then that the first well was dug and the first refinery was established in Azerbaijan.
He mentioned Azerbaijan’s transition from fossil to green and said it has great potential. He stated that the production of green energy has doubled in our country. He offered that Azerbaijan can share its manufacturing experience and switch to green energy.
COP28 Dubai in December 2023 concluded with an agreement that signals the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era by laying the groundwork for a rapid, fair and equitable transition, backed by deep emissions reductions and increased financing.
Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam Khan in her speech said, “Pakistan can transition from fossil fuels to green energy only if developed countries help Pakistan. Otherwise it is not possible for Pakistan. The time frame of 2025 is not enough. Pakistan supports and agrees with the transition to green energy, but it is not possible in Pakistan at present.”
“Pakistan and Azerbaijan having brotherly relations at COP29 are working together as Pakistan fully supports the success of this conference. During the COP29 President’s visit, both sides discussed various aspects of this topic and identified prospects for joint work on climate action.”
Regarding green energy, which is the focus of COP29, she said, “Pakistan’s National Adaptation Plan and Green Pakistan Program are important for Pakistan. Saudi Arabia has also adopted the green program. Pakistanis support Saudi Arabia.”
“The G77 Plus is also an important part of our agenda. Global warming is also an important issue in Pakistan. We will further expand our already existing cordial relations with Azerbaijan into meaningful cooperation in the green energy sector as well,” Ms. Romnia concluded.
Khazar Ambassador Nadir Oglu Farhadov illuminated 2024 as the “Green World Year of Solidarity”, an initiative of President Ilham Aliyev. It expresses the commitment of the Azerbaijani nation to global climate action. The commitment shown by the leader of Azerbaijan to this topic indicates that a lot of homework has already been done, which will greatly help Azerbaijan in hosting COP29.
ED SDPI stressed the developed world to support developing countries in the devastation caused by greenhouse gas emissions, a phenomenon that occurs in the developed world. He highlighted the state of affairs as most of the affected countries including Pakistan have less than 1% share of carbon emissions in the world.
Dr Khalid Waleed, Research Fellow at SDPI, screened a presentation on “The Way Forward for Energy Transition and Climate Action: Lessons from COP28 Informing COP29”.
The guests were also addressed by the representative Dr. Shafqat Munir ED SDPI.
Prior to the start of the seminar, the Coordinator of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Youth Affairs also visited PIPS and met the President-designate of COP29.
The COP29 team visits different countries to collect proposals, listen to ideas, see what the priorities of member countries are, monitor the situation in climate-affected countries, receive signals and develop a strategy that can cover the maximum feedback collected in their world tours. The visit of the head of the COP29 team Mr. Mukhtar Babayev to Pakistan was in the same context.
