Azerbaijan submits several environmental legislation drafts to parliament COP29 president-designate says

COP29 President-Designate and Azerbaijani Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev has said that the draft amendments to several laws, including the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code, addressing various environmental issues, have been submitted to the Azerbaijani parliament.

Babayev made these remarks at the opening ceremony of the "Law and Climate" international conference in Baku, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The minister outlined that these amendments pertain to the laws on "Wildlife," "Fisheries," "Hunting," and "Protection of Greenery," as well as revisions to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code.

Babayev noted that the bills on "Management of Greenhouse Gas Emissions," "Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation," "Responsible Animal Care," "Environmental Education," "Mineral Resources," and the "State Programme for Sustainable Forest Development in Azerbaijan for 2025-2030" are currently under review.

"The country is taking significant steps to increase the use of renewable energy sources and advance green energy technologies. Our goal is to raise the share of renewable energy in electricity production to 30 per cent by 2030. The construction of solar and wind power plants in the Absheron Peninsula and other districts is a testament to our efforts in this area," the minister noted. 

He added that key areas in Azerbaijan's climate change strategy include the adoption of electric vehicles in the transportation sector, the development of eco-friendly industries, reforestation efforts, and measures to combat land degradation. 

Meanwhile, Vice-President of the Turkish Constitutional Court Basri Bagcı also said that holding COP29 in Baku this November is a crucial development for both global climate efforts and Azerbaijan.

While speaking at the international conference, he emphasised the severe global challenge posed by climate change and its implications for the future. 

"Law is a critical tool for addressing climate and environmental issues. The Turkish Constitutional Court has made decisions on climate and environmental matters. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss these issues in Azerbaijan. We hope that today's conference will be a success," he added.

Baku will host the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). A group of Eastern European countries has chosen Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to host COP29 climate talks next year. Earlier, Bulgaria withdrew its candidacy to host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in favour of Azerbaijan. Moreover, Baku and Yerevan agreed to support each other at some international venues. In a joint statement, Armenia said it would support Azerbaijan's bid to host the COP29 summit. The conference is being held in rotation by five UN regional groups, and Eastern Europe will take part next year.