Baku Climate Action Week focuses on implementation and Caspian Sea cooperation

During the Baku Climate Action Week, international leaders and organizations emphasized the transition from negotiating climate commitments to implementing tangible projects and securing finance. COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev warned that climate disasters could further weaken vulnerable economies and stressed the importance of maintaining dialogue despite differing national priorities.

Key discussions focused on the upcoming COP31 in Türkiye, with officials calling for climate pledges to be converted into investment-ready projects. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev highlighted that achieving climate goals requires significant implementation finance, noting the goal of at least $300 billion annually by 2035.

Regional environmental cooperation was also a central theme. The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is working to establish a unified monitoring system and database for the five Caspian Sea littoral states—Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Iran—to address rising sea levels. Experts noted that effective management of the Caspian Sea requires high-level political coordination among these nations to complement technical scientific efforts.