Azerbaijan's 2030 Green Growth Targets Require Strategic Environmental Mapping - Minister

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. Creating a high-quality ecological environment and green energy zone operates as one of Azerbaijan's five core strategic targets, which requires integrating Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) directly into the master planning of cities, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Rashad Ismayilov said, Trend reports.

He made the remarks during a specialized event titled "Strategic Environmental Assessment as a tool for achieving climate targets in urban planning," held within the framework of the 13th session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

"The long-term future of urban areas depends directly on strategic development decisions, master plans, and state programs regulating the utilization of land and other natural resources, infrastructure deployment, and residential growth," the minister explained.

Ismayilov reminded the delegation that the framework document "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development" explicitly defines green growth as a primary structural driver of national economic expansion.

According to him, utilizing an SEA framework enables regulatory bodies to monitor the execution of national climate commitments and sustainable goals during the initial drafting and planning phases, specifically aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

"Under the landmark Paris Agreement, our updated national targets undergo formal documentation within the Third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC3) submission. Azerbaijan has voluntarily committed to a structural 40% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2035," Ismayilov noted.

The ecology minister emphasized that the successful execution of an SEA demands absolute alignment with all existing macro-strategic state documents during the municipal planning process.

"By adopting this proactive approach, we can systematically map out the carbon footprint and detect potential ecological risks of future economic operations well in advance. This methodology allows planners to evaluate alternative development scenarios based on rigorous, data-driven scientific analysis, while maximizing the efficient utilization of our resource base," he concluded.

Today marks the final day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).

The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and Azerbaijani flags also took place.

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