COP29 kicks off in Azerbaijan: Official opening ceremony begins at Baku Stadium PHOTO / VIDEO/ UPDATED

On November 11, the opening ceremony of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) took place in Baku.

COP28 President Sultan bin Ahmed Al-Jaber delivered an opening address, expressing gratitude to Azerbaijan for hosting the event and for its hospitality, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

 He discussed initiatives introduced by his country during COP28 and expressed confidence that COP29 would achieve further success. He highlighted that collaboration within the "Troika" framework would continue with Azerbaijan.

Following this, Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev, was elected president of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP28 President Sultan bin Ahmed Al-Jaber officially handed over the leadership of the session to him.

Babayev expressed his pleasure at welcoming everyone to Baku. He stated that COP29 is an opportunity for everyone and that this opportunity should not be missed. The COP29 President emphasized that natural disasters caused by climate issues lead to extremely severe consequences. "We understand the limitations that may arise in political and financial terms. However, I believe that these investments will pay off," he added.

Next, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Simon Stiell, noted that the negotiation process under the UNFCCC is the only platform where we can address the raging climate crisis and strongly urge one another to take responsibility and implement practical measures.

He remarked that the climate crisis, in one way or another, affects every person in the world. The UN official stressed the importance of reaching an agreement in Baku on a new global climate finance target.

"We cannot leave Baku without achieving substantial results," said Simon Stiell.

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Today, the 29th session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) begins in Baku, which is considered one of the largest and most prestigious events in the world.

The official opening ceremony of the COP29 climate conference is taking place at the Baku stadium.

Caliber.Az reminds that COP29, which will take place from November 11-22 at the Baku stadium, is the most significant event Azerbaijan has hosted to date and is the first time it is being held in the region. An agreement on the "Host Country" and other important documents have been signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat.

As part of COP29, the highest-level event, the Global Climate Action Summit, will take place on November 12-13.

The main expectation from COP29 is the agreement on a fair and ambitious new collective quantitative goal (NCQG) related to climate financing.

The presidency of COP29 has put forward 14 initiatives, which include the connection between climate action and sustainable development goals, such as green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, actions in green digital technologies, and other topics. One of the initiatives also includes the creation of a Climate Financing Action Fund.

In addition to being the main priority that drives the activities and brings everyone together, the creation of climate financing will also contribute to fulfilling the 1.5°C commitment.

Azerbaijan attaches great importance to environmental protection and addressing the consequences of climate change, carrying out significant work in this regard. The unanimous decision by the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to choose Azerbaijan as the host is a clear example of this. As noted by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, it reflects the great respect and trust the international community has for the country.