Azerbaijan Railways, International Union of Railways sign climate commitment document

The Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) rail transport company and the International Union of Railways (UIC) have signed a document on the railway sector climate commitment.

The signing ceremony was held during an event titled "Towards a Sustainable Future with Transport Corridors: Railways in Climate Policy," organised jointly by ADY and UIC as part of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), Caliber.Az reports. 

The main topics discussed at the event included Azerbaijan's active efforts to increase cargo transportation along the East-West and North-South corridors, the growing role of ADY in fulfilling commitments arising from nationally determined contributions and the Paris Agreement, as well as other related issues. 

ADY Chairman Rovshan Rustamov noted that 63 per cent of Azerbaijan's railway network is electrified.

"Since 2023, ADY has managed to reduce energy consumption by 5 per cent, natural gas consumption by 16 per cent, water usage by 23 per cent, and carbon emissions by 9 per cent. Last year, 100 per cent of passenger transportation and 80 per cent of freight transportation was powered by electricity," he noted. 

He also highlighted that ADY strategy for 2030 emphasises sustainable development, with a focus on attracting "green financing."  

COP29, being held from November 11 to 22 at Baku Stadium, represents Azerbaijan's largest and most significant international event to date, marking the first time the country has hosted a COP summit. The event began with the signing of a Host Country Agreement and other important documents between the Azerbaijani government and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat. A central focus of COP29 is the establishment of a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) for climate finance. In line with this, the presidency of COP29 has introduced 14 key initiatives that link climate action to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These initiatives cover areas such as green energy corridors, energy storage, climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction from organic waste, and the development of green digital technologies. One of the flagship proposals is the creation of a Climate Finance Action Fund, aimed at supporting the critical goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Throughout COP29, Azerbaijan has demonstrated its commitment to climate action and environmental protection. The unanimous decision to elect Azerbaijan as the host for this summit underscores the global community’s trust in the country’s leadership on climate issues. In his opening remarks, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s pivotal role in global climate efforts, underscoring the country’s dedication to mitigating climate change and advancing sustainable development.

By Naila Huseynova