BAKU—Azerbaijan is escalating its initiatives to restore environmentally degraded areas across the nation, according to statements made by Umayra Taghiyeva, the Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, at the 12th Caspian Energy Forum.

According to Trend News Agency, Taghiyeva highlighted the nation’s commitment to addressing ecological challenges, stressing that improving the conditions of polluted areas has become a priority. “Today, Azerbaijan is one of the key participants in the ‘green’ transition, which the world considers a top priority,” she noted during her speech.

The Deputy Minister also pointed out that Azerbaijan has set ambitious goals for achieving carbon neutrality in territories that were recently liberated from occupation. Her remarks underscored the broader environmental and sustainability objectives that the country is striving to meet.

Additionally, Taghiyeva elaborated on Azerbaijan’s role as the host of the upcoming 29th session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. She emphasized the importance of COP29 as a crucial global platform for discussing and addressing climate change issues. “We are preparing for this prestigious event. Under our presidency at COP29, there must be an agreement on climate financing in the global climate agenda, which has remained unresolved for many years,” she explained.

Taghiyeva called for effective strategies to channel global financial resources toward addressing pressing climate challenges. She stressed the necessity for climate financing to be directed towards the most urgent issues, reflecting a need for a concerted international effort to manage and mitigate environmental impacts effectively.