Azerbaijan’s COP29 president urges donors to deliver on promises at COP30 PHOTO

At the opening ceremony of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Azerbaijan’s Special Representative on Climate Issues and COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev delivered a powerful address highlighting the legacy of COP29, the launch of the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, and the urgent need to translate commitments into concrete action.

Expressing gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and international partners, Babayev called on world leaders and donor nations to honor their pledges under the historic Baku Finance Goal, stressing that the coming decade must be defined by “delivery, not debate,” Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“First, I must thank President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. His leadership and ambition to bring COP to the Caucasus and advance regional cooperation is bringing us the benefits of green energy — and even the green shoots of peace,” he said.

He extended appreciation to the entire COP29 team, including negotiators, the High-Level and Youth Climate Champions, the operations team, the people of Azerbaijan, the COP Secretariat, Troika partners from the United Arab Emirates, and the Brazilian COP30 Presidency led by Andre Correa do Lago.

Highlighting the environmental challenges facing the region, Babayev stated:

“Our region understood the need for action, because we face many environmental crises — from the shrinking Caspian Sea, to melting glaciers and creeping deserts. So, we needed to unite in common purpose. And we needed to make multilateralism work.”

He stressed Azerbaijan’s role as an “honest broker,” committed to fostering ambition and inclusivity:

“We were proud to play the role of honest broker, pushing for the highest possible ambition. We invested in many new friendships. We had a moral duty to support SIDS and LDCs. So, we made sure that communities on the frontlines of the crisis were at the centre of our work.”

Turning to the core outcomes of COP29, Babayev underscored the significance of securing an agreement on climate finance, a challenge he described as “much greater than the others.”

“We secured the historic Baku Finance Goal. This was the UN’s largest ever pledge. And it will guide how we support the Global South during the next decade,” he noted.

Acknowledging the difficulty of the negotiations, Babayev continued:

“We understand that the goal was not everything for everyone. We know it was hard. Difficult times demand difficult decisions. But it was a make-or-break moment and a litmus test for the Paris Agreement. Failure would have shaken the multilateral system at a dangerous moment. So, we humbly thank everyone who agreed that it was essential to move forward.”

Emphasizing accountability, he urged donor countries to meet their financial commitments in full:

“After such difficult negotiations, now there can be no excuses. We asked vulnerable communities to accept the limits of how much support they could expect. Now, in equal measure, we insist that donors deliver in full… with developed countries taking the lead.”

Babayev revealed that a detailed “invoice” outlining the financial milestones had been published through COP29 media channels:

“This covers what donors have already promised. It includes the essential milestones that will keep us on track. First, we must double adaptation finance — this was due at the end of 2025, and that deadline is almost upon us. Second, we need to triple the UN climate funds by 2030. The invoice concludes with the 300 billion promised by 2035… we also expect donors to publish their plans for how they will deliver their fair share over these years.”

He affirmed Azerbaijan’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the Baku Finance Goal remains central to global climate efforts:

“We will therefore work to keep the Baku Finance Goal on the global agenda. As an outgoing Presidency, this is our solemn duty. By fulfilling past promises, we restore faith in the system. We prove that building more agreements is not in vain. We dismantle the distrust that we have seen too often. And we restore COP’s sense of purpose.”

Reflecting on the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, Babayev highlighted its significance as a tool for global coordination:

“It can now serve as a central reference for our work. And it has shown that the pathway to 1.3 trillion is possible. But it demands political will and global action.”

Babayev described the transition from COP29 to COP30 as a pivotal moment in the evolution of the Paris Agreement:

“In Baku, we started to take the next logical steps to deliver the UAE Consensus. And in Belém, we must make progress on the Baku Finance Goal. This handover between COP presidencies is different — and special. Because last year we closed the Paris rulebook. We finished a decade-long chapter. And with the NCQG, we set a framework for how to support developing countries over the next decade. So, we are now entering the first full implementation cycle of the Paris Agreement. This is a new era — a decade that demands delivery, not debate.”

He concluded his address with a call for unity and action: “Azerbaijan is still with you. Together, let us show the world how many of us there are. Let us back Brazil and embrace the mutirão. Let us fulfil our promises. And let us deliver this COP of implementation, in solidarity for a green world.”

By Vafa Guliyeva