UNECE official hails Azerbaijan’s climate leadership

Azerbaijan is demonstrating leadership in advancing climate action and sustainable development, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Dmitry Mariyasin said.

As reported by a Caliber.Az correspondent, Mariyasin made the remarks at a roundtable held as part of Baku Climate Action Week 2026.

“Azerbaijan is a very good example of a country that is beginning to take leadership in a world where some bigger states may actually fail to show this leadership,” Mariyasin said.

He stressed that this leadership should be reflected not only in national climate policies but also in the types of infrastructure and investment projects approved and developed in Azerbaijan.

Mariyasin specifically highlighted the opportunity to develop the Middle Corridor, or Trans-Caspian transport route, as a green corridor, saying Azerbaijan has an important role to play in integrating climate considerations into the development of transport infrastructure.

“We have an opportunity in designing the port infrastructure, in making sure that the intermodal terminals, the way they are designed, already with climate considerations in mind,” he said.

According to the UNECE official, climate considerations should not be treated as an optional addition to infrastructure projects. Instead, they should contribute directly to the competitiveness and efficiency of businesses operating along the route.

He said projects should be designed to improve their long-term economic performance while also increasing resilience to climate-related risks.

Mariyasin also pointed to Azerbaijan’s energy sector, particularly the role of SOCAR, in reducing methane emissions.

“We know that SOCAR, as much [as] other leading oil companies, is taking real action on methane emissions, and we applaud this,” he said, while calling for further progress in this area.

He stressed that although the transition away from fossil fuels is necessary, hydrocarbons will not disappear immediately, making methane-emission reductions an important area for near-term climate action.

Mariyasin also urged Azerbaijani businesses to view climate targets as potential investment opportunities rather than simply regulatory obligations.

He said the climate transition could create opportunities for companies to develop new products, services and business models, while public institutions could help reduce investment risks through more predictable regulation, better access to information and higher-quality data.

The UNECE official further encouraged Azerbaijan to apply strategic environmental assessment proactively when planning major projects.

Rather than viewing environmental assessment as a regulatory barrier, businesses should consider it a tool that can enhance competitiveness and help projects anticipate environmental and climate-related risks at an early stage, he said.

Mariyasin argued that this approach could be particularly important for upper-middle-income countries such as Azerbaijan that are seeking to strengthen their position in emerging markets.

“Do apply strategic environmental assessment. Do ask these questions proactively without being told so by the regulator. Be ahead of the curve and be more competitive through this,” he said.

He added that climate action should ultimately be driven by the business opportunities and long-term interests of companies themselves, with governments and international organisations providing the regulatory frameworks, information and risk-reduction mechanisms needed to make those opportunities investable.

In this context, Mariyasin said Azerbaijan has an opportunity to reinforce its position as a country demonstrating climate leadership through practical projects, particularly in transport, energy, infrastructure and sustainable economic development.

By Vugar Khalilov