IDEA, Clean Air Fund host panel discussions at COP29

The International Dialogue for Environmental Action (IDEA) Public Association, in partnership with the Clean Air Fund (CAF), have organised a panel discussion at the Azerbaijan Pavilion.

The panel discussion was dedicated to "The Importance of Clean Air for the Health of Children and Newborns" as part of the 29th session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29). During the opening ceremony of the event, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of IDEA Leyla Aliyeva emphasised the important contribution that such debates can make to advancing the protection of children's health, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Emphasising that air pollution causes millions of deaths annually, Leyla Aliyeva highlighted the important role of global solidarity and the adoption of sustainable technologies in addressing this issue. She then informed the event participants about the measures being taken by the Republic of Azerbaijan, including steps towards expanding the use of environmentally friendly public transportation, as well as hybrid and electric vehicles.

While speaking about various projects and initiatives being implemented by IDEA, Leyla Aliyeva highlighted that over the past 13 years, the organisation has planted more than 5 million trees. She informed the panel discussion participants that as part of the "School Gardens" project, over 20,000 trees were planted in the courtyards of 300 schools located in Baku and the districts of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's Minister of Health Teymur Musayev, Chief Executive Officer of the Clean Air Fund (CAF) Jane Berston, Head of the UNICEF Global Programme "Healthy Environment for Healthy Children" Abheet Solomon, Vice President of the Fondation Botnar and Board Member of Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Flavia Bustreo, as well as young environmental activist Francisco Vera also attended the event.

COP29, being held from November 11 to 22 at Baku Stadium, represents Azerbaijan's largest and most significant international event to date, marking the first time the country has hosted a COP summit. The event began with the signing of a Host Country Agreement and other important documents between the Azerbaijani government and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat. A central focus of COP29 is the establishment of a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) for climate finance. In line with this, the presidency of COP29 has introduced 14 key initiatives that link climate action to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These initiatives cover areas such as green energy corridors, energy storage, climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction from organic waste, and the development of green digital technologies. One of the flagship proposals is the creation of a Climate Finance Action Fund, aimed at supporting the critical goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Throughout COP29, Azerbaijan has demonstrated its commitment to climate action and environmental protection. The unanimous decision to elect Azerbaijan as the host for this summit underscores the global community’s trust in the country’s leadership on climate issues. In his opening remarks, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s pivotal role in global climate efforts, underscoring the country’s dedication to mitigating climate change and advancing sustainable development.

By Naila Huseynova