The Social Research Center: COP29 reaffirms Azerbaijan’s status as a global green energy hub

Hosting the COP29 international event in our country this year has been one of the most significant occurrences of the year, highlighting its strategic importance for our nation.

As an active participant, the Social Research Center (SRC) utilized its think-tank capabilities during the event to establish methods for effective collaboration and took part in various discussions. Throughout the summit, the SRC Board of Directors and staff actively engaged, delivering speeches and participating in panels.

The SRC’s involvement in COP29 officially began on November 11, with its members participating in both the Blue and Green Zones on the first day. On November 12, Deputy Chair of the SRC Board, Professor Tahira Allahyarova, shared her insights on COP29 and its significance. Additionally, Tural Ismayilov, Head of an SRC sector, discussed the importance of COP29 in an interview with Turkish television. The same day, discussions were held with Shikhar Jain, Executive Director of the Confederation of Indian Industry, focusing on Azerbaijan’s renewable energy potential, the green transition, and the country’s role in the green economy. Notably, this confederation, with 125 years of history, includes 294 members.

The head of a sector at the SRC and political analyst, Ilyas Huseynov, delivered a speech at the roundtable on Strategic Communication in the Global Climate Crisis, part of the Stratcom Public Forums.

In his video message to the roundtable, Fahrettin Altun, Head of Communications for the Presidency of Türkiye, emphasized that addressing climate issues depends on controlling carbon emissions. He also highlighted that following Türkiye’s signing of the Paris Agreement, the declaration of the “Global Commitment on Zero Waste” under the patronage of Türkiye’s First Lady, Emine Erdoğan, brought the country’s sensitivity to climate issues to the global stage. Signed by over 83 countries, this goodwill declaration underscores Türkiye’s leading role in tackling climate challenges and is expected to achieve significant success.

In his speech, SRC sector head Ilyas Huseynov tackled various topics, including the environmental damage caused by Armenia during its occupation of Azerbaijani lands period, the threats posed by the Armenian Metsamor nuclear power plant, the challenges arising from global warming, the growing prevalence of water-related issues worldwide, and the importance of the COP29 event hosted by Azerbaijan. He also elaborated on national priorities, goals for transitioning to alternative energy, and the extensive measures taken in this field.

The discussions also centered on tackling the climate crisis through public-private collaboration within the zero-waste framework, promoting sustainable energy and development, and addressing the new challenges the climate crisis poses to international relations. Additionally, Türkiye’s progress in green development and efforts to raise awareness of zero-waste culture in society were highlighted. Other key topics included combating climate disinformation and the critical role of strategic communication in addressing the climate crisis.

During the event, SRC Board Chairman Zahid Oruj gave interviews to several local and international media outlets. SRC representatives actively participated in the opening ceremony of the COP29, including the Leaders’ Summit, a Youth Panel under the First Ladies and Youth Corps segment, and sessions on scaling up climate finance for action, jointly organized by the COP29 Presidency, the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. They also took part in a presentation on the strategic plan, investment, and criteria of the green climate fund for the Middle East and North Africa region.

The second week of COP29 saw increased participation from SRC representatives, who attended discussions at the Chinese Pavilion in the Blue Zone on international cooperation in energy dialogues, emission reductions, and environmental governance. These discussions highlighted the significance of research in these fields and the necessity of global cooperation. They also engaged in conversations on sustainable finance and investments in Eastern Europe, emphasizing the need for increased capital allocation to green energy.

In addition, Ilyas Huseynov met with several ambassadors. At the Israeli Pavilion in the Blue Zone, he discussed potential collaborations between SRC and Israeli think tanks with Israel’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, George Deek. Similarly, he visited the Kyrgyz Pavilion, where he explored partnership opportunities between SRC and leading Kyrgyz think tanks with Maksat Mamytkanov, the country’s ambassador to Azerbaijan.

Throughout the event, SRC representatives remained active participants in discussions. For instance, they attended a session organized by the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) on geological carbon storage, addressing reductions and credits, and examined established principles and practices in international negotiations. The session also highlighted environmental integrity, efficiency, transparency, inclusive participation, and maximizing market effectiveness.

The event included press conferences on subnational climate actions by U.S. states and local governments, which emphasized the importance of robust climate governance and global support for the work of the UN Climate Change Secretariat.

The COP29 also launched the Climate Platform for Business, Investment, and Philanthropy, organized by the COP29 Presidency, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy, and the COP29 High-Level Champion for Climate Action. The platform aims to unite leaders from business, finance, and philanthropy to drive collective action toward achieving the Paris Agreement goals. Key discussions revolved around financing climate action by 2030, accelerating public-private partnerships for expanded foreign direct investment, promoting decarbonization solutions, and developing financial solutions for climate adaptation and resilience.

At the Swedish Pavilion in the Blue Zone, discussions were held on the topic of “Climate Financing: Energy Efficiency and the Environment.” During the discussion, Håkan Jevrell, State Secretary to the Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Odile Renaud-Basso, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Gert Jan Koopman, and the Director-General of DG NEAR presented fruitful proposals.

Additionally, a conference titled “Youth at the Forefront of Climate Action” was organized. The event saw the participation of several distinguished figures, including Mehriban Aliyeva, First Vice-President and First Lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Aigul Japarova, First Lady of the Kyrgyz Republic; Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva, First Lady of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye; Dr. Salem bin Mohammed Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO); Tatiana Molchan, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); and Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe. Aytan Babayeva, an employee of the Social Research Center and a member of the Azerbaijani Students and Alumni Platform (ASAP), an Italian graduate, also participated in the event.

On November 20, the SRC members took part in an event at the Qatar Pavilion in the Blue Zone. SRC Board Chairman Zahid Oruj and Deputy Chair of the SRC Board, Professor Tahira Allahyarova, gave extensive speeches during the panel discussion. The presentations also included detailed information about migration issues caused by climate change.

On November 21, Gender Equality Day was celebrated within the framework of COP29. SRC representatives participated in the 29th Session of the “Gender in Transparency” Conference. During the event, it was emphasized that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but also a foundation for effective and fair climate action.

Throughout the event, the Giltex company hosted a successful “Soil Health” session in the Green Zone, providing a platform for establishing new collaboration opportunities among researchers. The session emphasized the crucial role of soil conservation in agriculture.

Later in the day, SRC employees participated in a hearing organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Blue Zone of COP29 on the topic ” Using Evidence for More Resilient Human Mobility in the Face of Desertification and Climate Change.” The discussions aimed at information exchange for building climate resilience addressed planned displacement and migration opportunities within the context of climate change.

During the event, Tural Ismayilov, the sector head of the Social Research Center, shared insights on key topics through several video reports.

SRC employees also decided to continue dialogue with over 50 companies and representatives from different countries attending COP29, focusing on future international collaboration and joint projects.