Japan keen to collaborate with Azerbaijan on climate action

Hayato Shimizu, the mayor of the Japanese Saitama city has affirmed his country’s keenness to collaborate with Azerbaijan on climate action and share its experience in decarbonization.

Shimizu emphasized the importance of city management in addressing the challenges of climate change, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

"City management plays a critical role in combating the effects of climate change, and we would be delighted to work with Azerbaijani cities on this issue," Shimizu said.

The mayor also praised the organization of the COP29 conference in Baku and expressed hopes for signing key agreements at the summit.

“We have set ambitious decarbonization goals for 2030 and 2050, and we look forward to reaching agreements that will help us achieve these targets,” he added.

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, taking place from November 11-22 at Baku Stadium, is the largest event Azerbaijan has hosted to date and marks the first time the conference is being held in the region. As part of the event, the government of Azerbaijan and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat have signed key documents, including the "Host Country" agreement.

One of the highlights of COP29 is the Global Climate Action Summit, scheduled for November 12-13, which will bring together global leaders to address critical climate issues.

A key expectation for COP29 is the adoption of a fair and ambitious new collective quantitative goal (NCQG) for climate financing.

The presidency of COP29 has introduced 14 initiatives focused on connecting climate action with sustainable development goals. These initiatives include green energy corridors, energy storage solutions, climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, and innovations in green digital technologies. A major initiative also includes the establishment of a Climate Financing Action Fund.

As the central priority of COP29, climate financing will play a crucial role in driving global action and is key to meeting the 1.5°C global temperature limit commitment.

By Vafa Guliyeva