Baku: Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW), a platform committed to addressing global climate challenges and enhancing international cooperation on climate action, has officially commenced. With SOCAR Green as its main partner, this year’s Baku Climate Action Week is being held for the first time alongside the Climate Week of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, now in its third year, Baku Climate Action Week unites representatives from governments, the private sector, investors, international organizations, academia, civil society, youth, cities, and other stakeholders to promote practical climate solutions, forge new partnerships, and identify opportunities for investment and implementation. The event’s inaugural day featured an official opening ceremony, high-level panel discussions, and roundtables focused on key priorities such as the energy transition, climate finance, and industrial decarbonization.
The opening ceremony gathered officials from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives from the COP29, COP30, and COP31 Presidencies, as well as delegates from the UNFCCC, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and other international bodies. Speakers emphasized the need to maintain momentum across the climate agenda as the world transitions from COP29 to COP31. They called for transforming commitments into tangible outcomes and strengthening cooperation among governments, businesses, financial institutions, and other stakeholders.
The day’s discussions covered a broad range of priorities shaping the global climate agenda, including innovation and digital technologies in the green energy sector, methane emissions reduction, carbon markets and climate finance, regional energy cooperation, and renewable energy certificates. The discussions also highlighted Azerbaijan’s increasing role in regional green energy value chains, its potential in green hydrogen, and opportunities to mobilize investment to accelerate the energy transition.
The programme included three roundtables focusing on the role of electrification in the energy transition, energy efficiency and digital solutions for buildings, and methane emissions reduction across the Caspian region. Mukhtar Babayev, Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues and President of COP29, highlighted the significance of Baku Climate Action Week, expressing confidence that the discussions will generate tangible outcomes and contribute to accelerating climate action on the ground.
Nigar Arpadarai, Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29 and BCAW Project Lead, emphasized Baku Climate Action Week’s role in advancing practical climate action and its importance in the global climate agenda beyond COP29. Fatma Varank, CEO of COP31 and Deputy Minister of Trkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, spoke at the opening ceremony about the enduring legacy established in Baku and Azerbaijan’s contribution to climate diplomacy.
Baku Climate Action Week continues to expand in scale and ambition, with an increasingly diverse and substantive programme each year. In 2025, the programme featured 46 events across more than 30 thematic areas. Building on this momentum, BCAW 2026 offers a broader range of sectors and stakeholder groups, focusing on connecting climate agenda priorities with opportunities for concrete action, partnerships, and investment. This year’s programme includes 15 flagship roundtables, alongside numerous partner events, many of which are convened in cooperation with the UNFCCC’s fourth Climate Week-Implementation Forum, reinforcing the link between global climate commitments and their implementation on the ground.