COP29 President discusses creating climate-resilient villages for farmers

As global attention focuses on climate action, COP29 in Baku has emerged as a pivotal moment for advancing sustainable solutions. 

One of the key highlights of the conference is the launch of the "Baku Harmoniya" initiative, which aims to empower farmers and strengthen rural communities against the growing challenges of climate change, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

"Baku Harmoniya" will help create climate-resilient villages and provide farmers with tools to adapt to climate change, COP29 President and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev said during the COP29 event, "Launch of Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers: Empowering Farmers for Climate Resilience."

"We aim to strengthen the position of farmers, especially women and youth. They are at the centre of rural communities. Baku Harmoniya will help create climate-resilient villages and give farmers the tools to adapt to climate change. The timing for launching this initiative is not chosen by chance. Agriculture both contributes to climate change and contains solutions. Methane emissions from waste and agriculture are increasing and farmers are the first to feel the impact of climate change. We must act together to protect our farmers and ensure food security for all," he emphasised.

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) opened on November 11 at the Baku Olympic Stadium and will run until November 22. This marks the largest event organized by Azerbaijan to date and the first time it has been hosted in the region.

Within COP29, the summit of world leaders on climate action took place on November 12-13, marking the highest-level event of the conference.

One of the key expectations from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) for climate finance. The COP29 chairmanship has launched 14 initiatives that link climate action to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These include green energy corridors, green energy storage, clean hydrogen, methane reduction from organic waste, and the promotion of green digital technologies.

In addition to creating the conditions for action, the establishment of climate finance is seen as a critical step towards fulfilling the 1.5°C climate pledge by uniting all parties.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992, aims to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. The COP (Conference of Parties) is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention, with 198 countries currently as parties to the agreement. COP meetings are held annually, and the first event took place in March 1995 in Berlin. The Secretariat of the COP is located in Bonn.

By Tamilla Hasanova