Azerbaijan advocates a practical path toward the global energy transition
The world cannot abandon fossil fuels in the foreseeable future and must pursue a balanced approach that combines energy security with investment in renewable energy, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the opening of the 31st Baku Energy Forum.
Addressing participants in Baku, Aliyev stressed the need for a pragmatic and realistic energy policy that balances climate goals with energy security.
“We all strive to improve the climate in order to save the planet. We all want to live in a better environment. But today we must be very pragmatic and rely on realism when planning our future, taking into account energy security while also investing in renewable energy sources. I believe this is the path that should guide us forward,” he said.
The Azerbaijani leader expressed special gratitude to US President Donald Trump for helping restore a more balanced approach to energy policy. Prior to that, energy-producing countries had been subjected to criticism and, at times, even pressure. According to Aliyev, President Trump changed that trend.
The atmosphere surrounding decarbonisation began to change immediately after Trump's election as President of the United States. Unlike the previous administration, the new White House leader opposed the green agenda, inspiring those in Europe who had also been critical of it. It should be recalled that Donald Trump invalidated the 2009 document that classified greenhouse gases as harmful to public health. The so-called “endangerment finding”, adopted during the administration of Barack Obama, was described by Trump as catastrophic and highly damaging to the US automotive industry. Many observers believe that this decision marked the end of the aggressively promoted decarbonisation policies of recent years and the stigmatisation of fossil fuels.
President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly emphasised in his speeches that countries should not be condemned for possessing oil and gas resources. On 1 June, while opening the Baku Energy Forum, he once again stressed that oil and gas are commodities like any other. Every country uses the resources found beneath its soil or seabed to support its development. For Azerbaijan, for example, oil and gas helped the country survive and preserve its independence.
Source: APA
“Countries should be judged not by whether they possess oil or not, but by how they use the revenues generated from it. How they invest the funds accumulated through energy development into the advancement of their country, how they improve living conditions for their citizens, and how they invest in the green agenda. I believe Azerbaijan’s example can be very illustrative, demonstrating that when a country opens itself to international investment and pursues a wise policy based on national interests, it achieves success,” President Aliyev stated at the opening of the Baku Energy Forum.
Although Azerbaijan is an oil and gas producing country, it continues to systematically develop clean energy as well. Much has already been achieved, and further projects are being implemented as part of the country’s green transition. The largest solar and wind power plants in the region, the Garadagh Solar Power Plant and the Khizi Absheron Wind Power Plant, have been built. In March this year, the largest energy storage battery centre in the Commonwealth of Independent States was launched. Construction of wind and solar power plants is ongoing in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. Baku is also contributing to the green agenda as a potential supplier of clean energy to Europe through its participation in the Black Sea Energy project. In addition, it is jointly developing the Trans Caspian Energy Cable with its partners, through which electricity from Central Asia will be delivered westwards.
As a responsible country, Azerbaijan understands the importance of the climate agenda and the need to fulfil its commitments under the Paris Agreement. Climate change is a reality, and Azerbaijan, like the rest of the world, is experiencing the consequences of these negative processes. Climate change is a serious concern for Baku. However, the country has consistently maintained that abrupt moves on strategic issues are unacceptable. Radical approaches to decarbonisation have pushed the world to the brink of an energy crisis. It must be understood that the world cannot quickly abandon fossil fuels by political decree, not because of a lack of political will, but because the entire modern economy remains deeply dependent on oil, gas and coal. Transportation, industry, agriculture, global trade, and the production of most everyday goods are built upon hydrocarbons. This is a reality, and ignoring it in pursuit of a green transition would only destabilise the global economy.
The energy crisis that emerged in connection with recent events in the Middle East clearly demonstrated the importance of fossil fuels to the global economy. After everything that has happened, it has become clear that in the coming decades the focus should not be on the complete elimination of fossil fuels, but rather on finding a balance between energy security, economic development, and climate obligations. Radical decarbonisation has proven to be an extremely complex and costly process. Today, a complete abandonment of fossil fuels no longer appears to be an achievable medium-term objective.
Source: renewableenergyworld
The world is moving towards an energy transition, but it is still premature to speak of the complete abandonment of fossil fuels in the foreseeable future. The reason lies not only in the energy sector itself but also in the structure of the modern global economy. Today, approximately 80 per cent of global energy consumption is supplied by fossil fuels. Despite the rapid growth of solar and wind energy capacity, humanity still consumes more than 100 million barrels of oil and tens of billions of cubic metres of natural gas every year. Efforts to significantly reduce these figures have not succeeded. The explanation is simple: alternative energy sources are not yet capable of guaranteeing stable energy supplies at all times and under all weather conditions. The sun does not shine at night, the wind does not blow constantly, and large-scale energy storage systems remain expensive. Making the economy dependent on the unpredictability of natural conditions is not a serious approach. Significantly, even those countries regarded as leaders of the green transition are unwilling to completely abandon gas and coal.
Today, it is virtually impossible to imagine global shipping, aviation, freight transport, construction machinery and agricultural equipment operating without petroleum products. If the issue were approached in a radical manner, maritime trade, which accounts for around 80 per cent of global merchandise trade, would come to a halt. Petrochemicals are also essential for the production of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. This is a paradox, but it reflects reality. The same applies to natural gas. Experts argue that without gas, fertiliser production would stop, undermining food security in many countries. According to expert assessments, a significant share of the world's agricultural output depends directly on fertilisers produced using natural gas.
There are additional challenges associated with the decarbonisation agenda. The large-scale transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy requires enormous quantities of lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth metals. However, extracting these resources is itself an energy-intensive process that today largely depends on diesel fuel, natural gas and coal. Moreover, these resources are concentrated in a limited number of countries, meaning that competition for access to them is likely to intensify and generate geopolitical tensions.
Until recently, the global economy developed on the basis of a carefully designed and thoroughly tested model. In order to preserve stability, that course should continue.
By Tural Heybatov
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