Special envoy highlights Italy's key role at Pre-COP29 in Baku

Francesco Corvaro, Italy's special envoy on climate change, has emphasized Italy's significant involvement during Azerbaijan's presidency of COP29 following the Pre-COP29 meeting in Baku.

"The pre-COP meeting in Baku was an important milestone leading up to COP29, focusing on critical topics such as adaptation, mitigation, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement," Carvaro noted in a social media post, Caliber.Az reports.

He described the discussions as vigorous, underlining the urgency of these issues. "Despite the sensitivity of the subjects, participants increasingly recognize the necessity of reaching a consensus to foster confidence and sustainability in climate policies. In this regard, Italy has taken on a prominent role under Azerbaijan's COP29 presidency."

Corvaro also highlighted that the Azerbaijani leadership introduced a fifth priority centred on transparency, appointing Italy alongside Kazakhstan to represent developing countries.

"This appointment signifies a historic opportunity for Italy, reflecting international recognition of our commitment to a fair and pragmatic transition. It is vital to capitalize on this opportunity to enhance Italy's presence on the global stage and collaboratively advance effective climate action," he stated.

Baku hosted the UN Preliminary Climate Change Conference 2024 (Pre-COP29) on October 10-11.

The conference was themed "Enhancing Ambition and Ensuring Action," as reported by event organizers.

The opening ceremony featured prominent attendees, including COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev, COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Amina J. Mohammed, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Simon Stiell, and Chair of the UNFCCC’s Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) Nabeel Munir.

Panel discussions focused on strategies to achieve successful outcomes for COP29. The event took place over two days at the Heydar Aliyev Centre.

By Tamilla Hasanova