Azerbaijani minister urges balanced approach to fossil fuel phaseout

A rapid phaseout of fossil fuels does not necessarily guarantee a successful energy transition, Azerbaijan’s Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has said.

“Recent energy crises and surging demand driven by electrification, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and data centres have shown that a hurried shift away from fossil fuels does not amount to a successful energy transition. The key is to build at an optimal pace a clean, secure, and resilient energy system capable of tackling all environmental concerns,” Shahbazov said on September 7 at the opening of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), according to a Caliber.Az correspondent.

“The key is to build, at an optimal pace, a clean, secure and resilient energy system capable of addressing all environmental challenges,” he added.

Shahbazov noted that, in the new energy landscape, the development of power grids, energy storage systems, improved energy efficiency and interconnectors is becoming as important as adding new generation capacity.

According to the minister, the initiatives advanced by Azerbaijan during its COP29 presidency were based on this approach.

To date, 74 countries have joined the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, while 70 countries have joined the Hydrogen Declaration and 64 have signed up to the Green Energy Pledge.

“The strategic vision set by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Mr Ilham Aliyev, is our guiding principle aligning energy security with green transition, leveraging Azerbaijan's existing energy strengths in building a resilient, low-carbon energy system while reinforcing our country's position as a regional green energy hub through diversified energy connectivity,” Shahbazov said.

By Vugar Khalilov