Conditions for int'l climate co-op now significantly more complex - Babayev

Conditions for international climate cooperation have become significantly more difficult than ten years ago, Representative of the President of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues and COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev stated during Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), Report informs.

According to him, following the adoption of the Paris Agreement nearly ten years ago, significant progress was achieved in shaping a unified global direction for climate policy.

"However, the world in which we are trying to implement this agreement has changed significantly. We have lived through a pandemic, witnessed conflicts, energy shocks, inflation, and growing geopolitical competition. Today, global military spending is approaching $3 trillion a year," Babayev noted.

He emphasized that the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible and costly.

"Extreme heat tests our cities for endurance, drought puts pressure on water and food systems, and floods and wildfires can destroy the results of years of development in just a few hours or days," he said.

Babayev noted that the energy transition must contribute to strengthening energy security and affordability, adaptation must protect economies, infrastructure, and populations, and climate-resilient agriculture must ensure food and water security.

He also pointed out the need to narrow the gap between international climate agreements and their practical implementation.

"COP can set the direction and build political momentum, but it does not build power grids or finance resilient infrastructure," Babayev emphasized.