Turkish professor advocates for Azerbaijan-Türkiye cooperation in ecotourism at COP29

Azerbaijan and Türkiye have significant potential for collaboration in the field of ecotourism, particularly in projects aimed at achieving carbon neutrality, Mehmet Somuncu, a professor at Ankara University, said.

Speaking at the global COP29 conference in Baku, Somuncu highlighted the importance of ecotourism as a sustainable development strategy, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Somuncu pointed out that Türkiye is one of the top ten tourist destinations globally, generating over $30 billion annually from tourism. He emphasized that in recent years, Türkiye has been actively expanding its tourism sector, with a strong focus on ecotourism as part of a broader strategy to promote sustainable travel and environmental conservation.  

By working together, Azerbaijan and Türkiye could leverage their natural landscapes and shared goals to develop joint ecotourism initiatives, contributing to both regional economic growth and global environmental sustainability.

COP29, 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 will be 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