President Barzani’s COP29 participation: Key opportunity for Kurdistan’s clean energy efforts
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Khairi Bozani, senior advisor to theKurdistan Regional Presidency, stated that President Nechirvan Barzani'sparticipation in the Baku UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29) is “akey opportunity” for the Region to highlight its efforts toward clean andsustainable energy.
Barzani is set to travel to the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, onMonday to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) on climate change,which will take place from November 11 to 22.
The conference, running from November 11 to 22, will focus onfunding clean energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, reducing harmfulemissions, and strengthening community resilience to climate change amid risingclimate-related disasters.
Bozani told Shafaq News Agency, "The conference will be heldin Baku, the birthplace of the global oil industry…In 1846, the first oilfields were opened there, and by the late 19th century, it became a leader inproduction…This year's conference is especially significant as it takes placein a city whose economy relies heavily on oil and gas exports, two of the mainsources of carbon emissions contributing to global warming.”
“Azerbaijan hosting the summit raises questions about itsreadiness, as an oil-exporting nation, to support the shift to clean energy…Whilemajor countries like the US and UAE face challenges in moving away from fossilfuels, Azerbaijan has not been a prominent player in this area,” he pointed out.“The event highlights its increasing interest in engaging with global climateissues.”
Moreover, the senior advisor highlighted, “While the KurdistanRegion's economy depends on oil and gas, it aims to strengthen its role as ahub for sustainable investment,” adding that “Barzani could offer a Kurdishperspective on the challenges regions like Kurdistan face in addressing climatechange, especially amid political and economic crises that hinder the climatetransition.”
“The conference could provide a platform to strengthen cooperationbetween the Region and participating countries, including Azerbaijan, on jointprojects in clean energy, environmental infrastructure, and climate changeadaptation,” he confirmed.
