“As emissions and sea levels rise, news that Azerbaijan will host the annual UN climate summit has been met with accusations of “greenwashing” from some circles. As COP29 is approaching, these voices are getting stronger.”
Oku.Az reports, this is stated in the article published by “Euronews” about the COP29 climate summit to be held in Baku.
“Azerbaijan’s only goal at the COP is to eliminate differences of opinion between countries,” Hikmet Hajiyev said on “Euronews.”
In the article, H. Hajiyev addresses the accusations of “greenwashing” raised in connection with the holding of COP29 in Azerbaijan and rejects them, stressing that instead of hiding our country’s past as an oil and gas producer, it has demonstrated. openly.
The author of the article claims that Azerbaijan’s oil and gas past and its successes in this field are undeniable.
The article highlights that the world’s first commercial well was drilled in Baku in the 19th century, that Azerbaijan had for a long time an economy based on oil and gas production and that all this laid the foundations for the industrialization and economic development of the country.
This shows that Azerbaijan, although it defends itself against climate change, has no complexes about its role in energy production.
This is said to be an important factor that further strengthens the economic growth and social development of Azerbaijan.
“Azerbaijan, which accounts for 0.01% of global waste, does not shy away from its role in the industry. Oil and gas revenues have funded investments in health, infrastructure and education, and led to a 10-fold increase in GDP per capita since independence from the Soviet Union,” the article said.
Azerbaijan’s energy exports to Europe, especially gas supplies, are reported to have played an important role in a period when European demand for coal was increasing.
“Azerbaijan has prevented Europe from returning to more polluted and ecologically harmful coal by supplying natural gas. This demonstrates the important role of Azerbaijan in the field of energy supply and its contribution to regional security,” the article underlines.
It should be noted that Azerbaijan’s energy policy aims not only to provide economic benefits, but also to support global energy security.
The article contradicts arguments made by some critics against the idea of preventing Azerbaijan and other fossil fuel producers from hosting the COP:
“If producers are deprived of holding the COP, consumer countries that import and burn fossil fuels should not be exempt from this responsibility either. However, no country in the world, neither as a producer nor as a consumer, fully complies with this This project not only limits Azerbaijan’s energy supply to its borders, but is also important for Europe’s energy security. These large-scale projects do not require the participation of a single country, but rather reveal cooperation and cooperation. commitment between producers and consumers”.
It is noted that some circles feel more comfortable criticizing the countries hosting the COP, but this approach does not provide any real solution or concrete action.
“Although Azerbaijan did not expect to host this summit, the holding of the event is an indication of the country’s serious acceptance of environmental responsibility and its desire to transition to a different energy model in the future,” says the material.
The article also underlines that Azerbaijan has been deprived of hosting the COP for a long time for geopolitical reasons.
“Armenia’s occupation of approximately one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s territory created serious tensions in the region and prevented Azerbaijan from hosting such an internationally important event.
Azerbaijan’s reconquest of the territories occupied by Armenia in 2020 was an important turning point not only from a military point of view, but also from a diplomatic point of view. After territorial integrity was restored, we gained more support internationally and new diplomatic opportunities arose.
Furthermore, within the framework of the historic peace negotiations, Armenia supported Azerbaijan’s proposal to host the COP, and official Baku, in turn, supported its election as a member of the COP Bureau of the Eastern European Group.
In this sense, the assessment that some critics make of Azerbaijan’s reception as “peacewashing” is a sign of negative attitude and doubts about our country’s progress in the direction of the peace agreement.
The choice of Azerbaijan as the venue for this event is, in fact, the result of peace negotiations between the two countries. “This confirms the importance that Azerbaijan attaches to regional peace and international cooperation and shows that such criticism is merely symbolic,” the article states.
H. Hachiyev said that Azerbaijan calls on developed countries and proposes establishing a new climate fund to implement the promises they made at COP29 on reducing global emissions, while drawing attention to the importance of protecting countries in development, which are at the forefront of climate change. change.
“Azerbaijan’s support for this approach is aimed at adhering to the principle of justice and sustainable development. This is fully consistent with the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”, that is, all countries must participate in the fight against change climate, but with different responsibilities, taking into account the level of development they must assume.
This is a complex and difficult task. For some it is easier to take refuge in simple and cheap criticism”, – concluded H. Hajiyev.
