Clean environment among Azerbaijan’s national priorities – ministry
By Ayya Lmahamad
Achieving a clean environment and becoming a “green growth” country is one of the national priorities for Azerbaijan’s socio-economic development by 2030, Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Soltanov has said, the ministry’s press service reported on March 16.
Addressing the 7th Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue held in a format of videoconference on March 16, Soltanov said that “Implementation of this priority deems it necessary to develop the renewable energy sector, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the use of green technologies.”
Azerbaijan seeks to increase to 30 percent the share of renewables in the country’s electricity production capacity in the next 10 years and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent compared to 1990. Cooperation with foreign investors has already begun to this end.
The deputy minister spoke about the projects to be implemented with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and the United Arab Emirates’ Masdar companies to develop Azerbaijan’s renewable capacity. About $500 million worth of foreign investment will be directed to the country’s renewable energy sector through these projects, Soltanov said.
He stressed that the liberation of Azerbaijan’s occupied territories has opened new opportunities for sustainable development in the region.
“Cooperation with foreign investors is of great importance in the process of transformation of the liberated territories into a “green energy” zone and restoration of Karabakh,” he said.
The two-day videoconference will discuss issues such as renewable energy, global goals in the energy transition, and the application of advanced technologies to ensure a cross-industry energy transition.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, as well as high-level representatives of a number of countries and organizations, attended the event dedicated to Energy transition-Towards climate neutrality.
It should be noted that a clean environment is among the top five priorities set up by the president for the country's socio-economic development for the next decade. These priorities include growing competitive economy, a dynamic, inclusive society based on social justice, a competitive space for human capital and modern innovations, a clean environment, and a great return to the Azerbaijani territories liberated from the Armenian occupation.
---
Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz