Baku: 'The successful hosting of COP29 in Baku further reinforced Azerbaijan's commitment to practical climate action and international cooperation,' Mukhtar Babayev, Representative of the President of Azerbaijan for Climate Issues, said in a video address to the participants of the session on "Developing Azerbaijan's First National Sustainability Standard: The Sustainable Practices Standard (SPS)" organized as part of the 13th Session of the UN World Urban Forum (WUF13).

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, discussions during COP29 highlighted the growing importance of implementation, resilience, climate finance, and stronger integration of sustainability in development policies. Babayev emphasized that stronger sustainability standards could support this transition by encouraging more sustainable infrastructure, resource efficiency, circular economy approaches, greener urban planning, and more responsible production and consumption patterns.

Babayev underlined that sustainability should not be viewed as an additional burden but as an investment in long-term resilience, economic efficiency, and human well-being. He stressed that combining international experience with national realities is crucial for developing standards that are both ambitious and practical.