“Today, the global geopolitical situation remains tense. In the face of this new era, I would like to highlight two reasons for optimism and suggest a path forward. First, we proved in Baku that the system can work. Before COP29, people doubted that the world could reach an agreement or that Azerbaijan could complete all preparations in a short time. They were wrong on both counts. Our country has taken many historic steps forward. Azerbaijan agreed on the Baku Finance Goal to mobilize at least $300 billion annually for the developing world by 2035. We finalized a long-overdue framework for carbon markets,” said President’s Special Representative for Climate Issues and COP29 President, Mukhtar Babayev, during a panel discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. He noted that at COP29, Azerbaijan launched the operations of the Loss and Damage Fund.
“We mobilized asset owners for climate action and placed transparency on the agenda. Altogether, these achievements proved that countries can reach agreements. They demonstrated that the multilateral process can yield results. These outcomes will help unlock trillions of dollars in climate finance for communities around the world. Secondly, the COP29 Presidency continues to see strong commitment to climate action from many countries. From Berlin to Tokyo, multilateral meetings are increasingly showcasing officials’ support. They understand the significance of what COP delivers. They want to preserve the process,” Babayev added.
He praised Türkiye’s initiative to host COP31: “The ambition of Türkiye and other countries to host COP31 and contribute to the process proves that they still see value in the system. There is a will to stay united and move forward. Now the question is, how do we carry this momentum into the future? What concrete steps must we take next? First, we must support Brazil. As hosts of COP30, we must follow their leadership. The successful outcomes of those negotiations will be a critical indicator that the world is still ready to find common ground. But we must also go beyond negotiations and implement them. We must operationalize the pact we concluded in Baku. Donor countries must develop clear plans on how they will deliver their fair share of the $300 billion target. This was a collective commitment. Everyone must ensure it is fulfilled. This is essential to support developing countries and protect the integrity of the multilateral system. The COP29 Presidency is now working closely with the COP30 Bureau to prepare the Baku to Belem Roadmap aimed at increasing climate finance for developing countries to $1.3 trillion annually by 2035.”
“We are gathering input from countries and financial stakeholders. We are trying to provide clear and actionable proposals for how everyone can contribute to this collective effort.
This is a critical year for every country to define its individual contribution to climate action. They must each put forward their plans to reduce emissions and support everything with full transparency. We understand how challenging it is to draft this next generation of climate plans.
Our country will continue to advance the initiatives and declarations it presented at COP29.”
