Perspectives: Azerbaijan is serious about going green

Azerbaijan endured lots of criticism during COP29. Environmentalists accused the host nation of trying to use COP29 as a “greenwashing” exercise, while European officials condemned President Ilham Aliyev for making provocative statements during the gathering, accusing him of undermining efforts to contain global warming.

The barrage of criticism obscures an important aspect of Azerbaijan’s environmental record. Aliyev’s government is not a recalcitrant actor when it comes to climate action, nor is it solely preoccupied with optics. Azerbaijan has made notable strides both in addressing pressing environmental issues impacting the country, and in efforts to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets set under the 2015 Paris agreement.

Azerbaijan, like all nations participating in the COP process, is trying to reduce harmful emissions while maintaining economic growth to meet the needs of a growing population. It is a difficult challenge. Baku’s goal is to reduce levels of emissions to around 37 million tons of CO₂-equivalent by 2030, down from the roughly 61.3 million tons that Azerbaijan emitted in 2016. 

A critical component of Azerbaijan’s vision for growth is economic diversification – reducing the country’s dependency on fossil fuel exports. A document updated in 2023 on Azerbaijan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) within the COP system states that it is necessary “to increase the share of alternative and renewable energy sources in primary consumption in all sectors of the economy and to reduce the impact on climate change.”

The government needs to “encourage the decarbonization of the economy and promote sustainable and inclusive development,” the document adds.

The government’s strategy to achieve its goals is outlined in a 2021 blueprint, titled Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development. “Green growth” is listed in the document as one of five priority development areas. “It is necessary in all sectors of the economy to increase the share of alternative and renewable energy sources in primary consumption and reduce their impact on climate change,” the document states.

Over the past three years, Azerbaijan has made progress in developing green energy to meet its target of generating 30 percent of its power needs via renewable sources by 2030. In June, the country launched construction on three renewable energy projects: two solar power plants and a windfarm with a combined projected generating capacity of 1 Gigawatt. The share of renewable energy in generating electricity has grown from 6 percent in 2020 to 11 percent in 2023. 

A showcase initiative, announced earlier in 2024, has Azerbaijan working with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to develop wind and solar power generating capacity. The joint project envisions a power line stretching along the Caspian seabed transmitting “green” electricity generated in Central Asia to Azerbaijan and beyond. 

Baku’s critics contend that such green energy initiatives merely enable the country to expand its hydrocarbon exports to Europe and elsewhere. But expanding westward-bound energy exports at this time meets a vital need for the European Union, which is intent on reducing its dependence on Russian energy. No matter how you look at it, Baku’s progress in developing renewable energy sources represents a substantive commitment to implementing a green agenda.

Also in 2021, Azerbaijan adopted the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) on building resilience to the climate. Coordinated by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the plan is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and outlines activities to address climate challenges at the nexus of water, agriculture and energy.

Given that 65 percent of Azerbaijan’s freshwater resources come from bordering countries, improving water resilience has been a challenge. To date, Azerbaijan has extended its water infrastructure, adding 10 percent more water storage with projects like the Jeyranbatan Ultra Filtration Water Treatment Plant, now supplying clean water to more than 1.5 million people on the Absheron Peninsula.

In addition, the government has modernized irrigation systems covering about 120,000 hectares of agricultural land, helping to improve water-use efficiency. Azerbaijan has likewise embraced climate-smart agricultural practices to enhance crop resilience. Consequently, the cultivation of climate-resilient crop varieties has increased 12 percent since 2021. Meanwhile, the introduction of drip-irrigation systems, which can drastically reduce water usage, may enable the revival of a cotton industry in Azerbaijan.

Looking at the bigger picture, Azerbaijan is working with other regional states to address the declining water level of the Caspian Sea. After a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in August, Aliyev said the Caspian was “becoming catastrophically shallow.” He added that Azerbaijan was committed to working with the other Caspian littoral states “to prevent a possible environmental disaster.”

Oil and natural gas are clearly a major part of the present in Azerbaijan. But the government is showing that its commitment to a green-energy future is real.

Source:Eurasianet