Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

The message by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev - “Evaluating the country’s performance… natural resources gifted by God should not be taken as a criterion” - is the most perfect aphorism of COP29.

The “Green World Solidarity Year” declared by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change consist of views that complement each other in terms of their essence and objectives. The green movement created in our country by the “Green World Solidarity Year”, placing of green energy at the forefront to avoid the disasters that could be caused by climate change, proposed by COP29, are global events that serve to protect, sustain, and develop countries and the world. The measures carried out in the field of movement for Green World justify the Republic of Azerbaijan hosting the world’s number one international event, COP29. At the same time, the comprehensive and rapid development of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan, and its achievements in the global arena, created wide opportunities for hosting COP29 at the highest level. Undoubtedly, accepting the COP29 baton is a real manifestation of the high prestige of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev among world leaders. President Ilham Aliyev’s brilliant speech at the opening ceremony is a manifesto of the COP29 movement. In this profound speech, the key realities and perspectives of COP29 were reflected. The President’s speech is a true presentation of Azerbaijan’s realities regarding COP29, an objective assessment of world trends, and a pragmatic key for the near and distant future. The message by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev stating: “Evaluating the country’s performance… natural resources gifted by God should not be taken as a criterion”- is the most perfect aphorism of COP29. Otherwise, if world countries completely abandon the “natural resources gifted by God”, they may face the threat of a crisis until they acquire new green opportunities through the search for a “green transition”. The thoughts of the President of Azerbaijan, sounding like precise aphorisms, express a realistic approach on the possibility of using all natural resources appropriately and in moderation, without reaching the point of disrupting the balance of the world. This is a pragmatic challenge highlighting the necessity of finding the right balance of the profits from the “natural resources gifted by God” and the green technologies.     

Today, in many countries around the world, including Azerbaijan, the “natural resources gifted by God” play a sustainable donor role in achieving the goals of COP29. In our opinion, the countries that have sustainable incomes from natural resources to acquire green technologies will be able to achieve the “green transition” more effectively. Thus, the natural resources gifted by God fulfill a green transformation function between existing sustainable development and the green transition. Azerbaijan’s current oil and gas revenues are the driving force of the successful transition to the “green transition” phase in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Garabagh, and Eastern Zangezur which has been declared “a green economic zone” today, as well as in the Great Return movement. Undoubtedly, countries that have “natural resources gifted by God” and can build and develop the green economy of the 21st century based on green energy will have the opportunity to become the leading states of the near future. In this regard, Azerbaijan is one of the luckiest countries of the world. Because Azerbaijan is a country rich in most of the underground and surface natural resources listed in the famous Mendeleev table. In addition, for several years now, a well-thought-out state policy has been implemented in Azerbaijan to create an economy model that does not depend on oil, proposed by President Ilham Aliyev. Already, the revenues generated from the agricultural sector, tourism, transportation, and catering services, which serve to eliminate dependence on oil, hold a significant share in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The challenges of the “Green World Solidarity Year” and COP29 will add financial opportunities derived from the green economy and alternative energy sources to the list of revenues that are not dependent on oil.  

Currently, extensive works are carried out in the Republic of Azerbaijan towards the establishment of a green economy. In addition, the processes of restructuring the exploitation, processing, and marketing of the current natural resources in our country based on green technologies are also expanding. In his speech at the opening ceremony of COP29, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev presented a clear picture of the state programs being implemented and the new projects planned in our country towards the formation of green economy infrastructure and the establishment of renewable alternative green energy sources.

The purposeful modern political and economic policy implemented in our country, in line with global realities, successfully serves to contribute to the improvement of the atmosphere by using existing natural resources based on green technologies, to the establishment of the new era’s green economy based on green energy, and to paving the way for further expansion of its scope. In our opinion, Azerbaijan’s model of a green economy can be an important experience also for world countries. In this context, the speech made by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan during the opening ceremony of COP29, held at the Baku Olympic Stadium, reflect a realistic view of the modern period on the concept of a green economy: “Countries should not be blamed for having them, (the natural resources gifted by God-I.H) and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market because the market needs them, the people need them”.

This is a conceptual explanation and clear expression of a challenge to avoid euphoria regarding the transition to green energy, to refrain from viewing this global issue one-sidedly, and to approach the matter comprehensively.

Another “green asset” that the “Green World Solidarity Year” and COP29 have brought to our country and the world is the expansion of dialogue’s scope in this direction and its enrichment with green ideas and practical steps. The high-level dialogue platform organized on the scale of COP29 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, has given a green light for the dialogue of cultures, the exchange of the latest green technologies, and the discussion of green transformations.

Today, the COP29 Village established at the Baku Olympic Stadium has become the main center of the multifaceted world dialogue culture. The economic and technical innovations displayed in the pavilions representing different countries, together with the green scientific and practical ideas voiced in the conference halls, create an opportunity to form entirely new perspectives on the near and distant green future of the world. In fact, the discussions held at the COP29 Main Village at the Baku Olympic Stadium consist of lessons of the new green scenery of the world.

In recent years, new concepts in Azerbaijan and worldwide such as green economy, green energy, green chemistry, biodiversity, eco-culture, green transformations, digital world, artificial intelligence, e-transport, ecolinguistics, smart villages, and others have led to the formation of green terminology. Green terminology now functions as the existing language of the green world and green technology of the modern period. The concept of ecolinguistics, as a synonym for green terminology, further paves the way for the expansion of the process. These, in turn, reflect the characteristics of the transition of world to a new level of development – a green civilization. Since the 18th century, during subsequent stages of development, the invention of the steam engine, the advent of electricity, the conquest of space, the discovery of the internet, and the emergence of smart technologies have given rise to different civilizations and industrial revolutions. Similarly, green energy, artificial intelligence, and digital development are now leading humanity toward a new stage of progress.

Thus, the COP29 Village at the Baku Olympic Stadium has turned the issues of green civilization into the main topic of the world’s green agenda. Currently, the COP29 Village, built using the most advanced green technologies, stands as a magnificent rostrum for the world’s green civilization discussions.

The statements and messages delivered by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev from the COP29 rostrum is an announcement of the new green development phase of the modern trends of the world.

The Baku COP29 Conference is a global event of the United Nations on the theme of the green world movement. Azerbaijan demonstrates an example of creating a multinational continent called COP29 by organizing the multifaceted and efficient activities, security, transportation, and even leisure time of more than 72,000 people representing 196 countries of our planet at a high level, as a unified family.  In this sense, the Baku Olympic Stadium symbolizes the Earth, the Blue Zone of COP29 represents the oceans, seas, rivers, and sky, while the Green Zone symbolizes the landscape and nature. Considering that in mythology, the colour blue symbolizes vastness and the colour green represents change, it can be concluded that the modern landscape of the COP29 continent reflects the development trends of the 21st century. Peace, mutual cooperation, a just green society, and green technologies that serve solely for prosperity and development are the green civilization challenges voiced by the COP29 continent from the magnificent platform created by Azerbaijan.

Foreign circles that are unable to accept or digest historic Garabagh Victory of Azerbaijan, the Great Return movement, and the COP29 green development platform organized at the highest level are unfortunate individuals who are unaware that they have closed their doors to the rising sun. In Azerbaijan, as President Ilham Aliyev declared from the prestigious rostrum of COP29 to the entire world, the number of sunny days is more than 250 a year. The capital Baku is also known as the city of winds. Azerbaijan, with its sunny geography, green energy, green economy, and smart digital development, stands on the threshold of green civilization.

November 14, 2024 

Isa HABIBBEYLI

President of ANAS,

academician

Reyhan Majidli, Public Relations, Press and Information Department of the Presidium Administration of ANAS

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