Azerbaijan is determined to become a leading country in the field of renewable energy by using its abundant wind and solar potential to achieve this goal. This serves also as an important component of the country’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% by 2050. The country is diversifying its current energy system to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity generation to 30% by 2030 and become a leader in green energy. The steps taken in Azerbaijan towards environmental protection and climate change prevention – solar and wind energy projects, and the declaration of 2024 as the “Year of Solidarity for Green World” serve as a clear example of state policy implemented towards protecting our planet. The city of Baku, which is to host 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, will play for about two weeks the role of an important platform for solidarity in combatting climate change.
127 countries supported Azerbaijan’s initiative to host COP29. An important factor was the withdrawal of Armenia’s candidacy to host COP29 in order to support Azerbaijan’s candidacy. Baku invited all countries, including Armenia, to participate in the conference. Many saw this as a good sign towards the process of normalizing relations between the countries that have been in conflict for almost three decades. However, there are forces that unwish the peace in the South Caucasus being interested in outbreak of a new war. Roughly speaking, it is the Armenian diaspora and its lobby that openly oppose peace in the Caucasus in a number of Western countries trying to slander Azerbaijan. In a number of Western media outlets, there is a clear negative trend towards Azerbaijan in the political context. This campaign, aimed at damaging the country’s image, includes disinformation, distortion of facts and manipulation of public opinion.
Disinformation on ethnic cleansing is being spread in the context of the developments relating to the arrest of separatists from Karabakh. Along with drawing attention to the arrests of separatists, information about their involvement in war planning, violations of international law, terrorism and a number of other crimes is ignored. Through presenting the Armenians voluntary decision to leave Karabakh as an ethnic cleansing, the Armenian lobby is attempting to discredit Azerbaijan in the eyes of the world community. The Armenian diaspora is using its lobbyists in a smear campaign against Azerbaijan to prevent COP29 from being held in Baku, while in the current circumstances there exist good opportunities for a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan.
The Armenian lobby in both houses of US Congress has become significantly more active these days; sometimes it puts forward legislative initiatives demanding sanctions against Azerbaijan, and sometimes it tries to secure an aid package for Armenia worth hundreds of millions of dollars (the famous draft bill by congressman Adam Schiff). The main organizer of this campaign is the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), which involves its followers and lobbyists in this process. Along with the army of bots that automatically write anti-Azerbaijani articles based on theses entered through the system, the Armenian diaspora in France has also become significantly more active.
Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the UN dates back long before the mentioned climate event. Azerbaijan has been continuously contributing to the establishment of international peace and security, the main goal reflected in the UN Charter. To this end, Azerbaijan participates in political discussions on peace and security issues in UN bodies, contributes to practical activities carried out under the UN mandate enjoying a membership in its various institutions. The UN, in turn, has been the closest partner of the Azerbaijani people in the most complicated periods, since the UN Security Council adopted 4 well-known resolutions demanding the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian occupation forces from the territories of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for the period 2012-2013 increased the weight of this country in the political processes of establishing international peace and security. Furthermore, The UN and Azerbaijan signed the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025.
The decision to host COP29 in Azerbaijan appears as a clear example of the great trust and respect demonstrated to this country. Notably, this appears to be a manifestation of the international community’s confidence in Azerbaijan’s efforts to contribute to national and international policies implrmrnted under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. As an outcome of the targeted policy of Azerbaijani President, “green energy”, “green economy”, “green growth”, “green technologies”, etc. are not just words and concepts, but express the realities of the development strategy of the Azerbaijani state. The events of the “Year of Solidarity for a Green World” and COP29 have merged with each other thus becoming the driving force of strategic development in Azerbaijan.
