Azerbaijani COP29 champion highlights role of lawmakers in global climate fight

Azerbaijani parliamentarian and COP29 High-Level Climate Champion Nigar Arpadarai took part in a parliamentary meeting at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

According to domestic media reports, the event was organised this year by the Brazilian Parliament in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, bringing together lawmakers to discuss key strategies for climate governance.

During the panel discussion “Strengthening Parliamentary Action for the Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs),” Arpadarai highlighted the historic importance of last year’s COP29 conference in Baku. She underscored the critical role of parliamentary engagement in advancing national and international climate initiatives and in ensuring effective implementation of climate commitments.

COP29, held in Baku from November 11 to 22, 2024, marked a significant milestone in global climate efforts and was widely recognised as the "finance COP." Among its major achievements was the adoption of the New Collective Quantified Goal, under which developed countries pledged to provide at least $300 billion annually by 2035 to support developing nations in mitigation and adaptation efforts. This commitment, tripling prior financial pledges, demonstrated a strong global dedication to empowering vulnerable nations in the fight against climate change.

The conference also made notable progress on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, operationalising international carbon markets. A UN-supervised crediting mechanism was introduced, providing a structured framework for carbon trading while ensuring environmental integrity and fostering international cooperation.

COP29 further advanced the operationalisation of the loss and damage fund, offering vital support to communities most affected by climate impacts. Additional steps included refining adaptation indicators to strengthen resilience strategies worldwide. The Baku Climate Unity Pact emerged as a unifying framework, bringing countries together and laying the foundation for ongoing international climate progress.

By referencing these achievements, Arpadarai emphasised that robust parliamentary involvement is essential for translating international agreements into actionable national policies, ensuring that climate goals are effectively implemented at every level of governance.

By Tamilla Hasanova