It is necessary to express gratitude to Azerbaijan for its readiness to host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). Given the current unstable situation in the world, Azerbaijan represents an appropriate place to discuss global measures to combat climate change, Italian expert, professor at the Sapienza University of Rome Daniel Pommier Vincelli told Report.
According to the expert, Armenia’s decision to withdraw its candidacy to host COP29 in favor of Azerbaijan became an additional incentive for Baku to be chosen as a center for addressing issues of major global changes.
“Armenia and Azerbaijan acted as “grown up” and worked for composing the conflict instead of emphasizing. I hope by the time the conference will take place the two countries would have signed a peace treaty. That would be a great follow up of the CoP conference,” he said.
Speaking about the choice of Azerbaijan as the host of COP29, Dr. Vincelli noted that the international community has reached an impasse on this issue due to the veto imposed by Russia on a number of candidate countries. Azerbaijan resolved this situation.
“Many observers criticized the choice of Azerbaijan as host of the forthcoming CoP 29. Oh no they said: not another fossil fueled economy. I am of the opposite opinion. If we westerners or Europeans lock ourselves in an ivory tower and contemplate our magnificence, we will never be able to change things and phase out the fossil fueled economy. A reformist approach works with dirty hands’,” he added.
“Right because Azerbaijan is a major producer and exporter of fossil energy, the real change could be more significant and paramount. I am sure that Azerbaijan should use its moderate, dialogical, multidimensional approach in addressing the conference.”
The expert emphasized that Azerbaijan, during the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, can act as a mediator between different approaches to the climate agenda in the world.
“For sure we will have two fronts: the fossil fueled economies with a more cautious approach to phase put the fossils, and the Western countries which want a more radical position. Azerbaijan could be able to mediate between these two visions,” he said.
