Baku forum focuses on sustainable urban development
A panel session titled "Shaping Azerbaijan’s Future: Climate-Resilient and Healthy Cities and Communities" was held today as part of Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW 2025).
Moderated by Anna Soave, Head of Country Programme at UN-Habitat Azerbaijan, the session focused on developing environmentally friendly, efficient, and resilient cities. Discussions highlighted how urban planning and smart city innovations can strengthen resilience to climate risks, reduce emissions, and encourage sustainable lifestyles, News.Az reports citing AZERTAC.
The session also featured case studies and tools for implementing scalable smart infrastructure in Azerbaijani cities.
Speaking at the event, Elmar Mammadov, Head of the Economic Cooperation Department at Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that Azerbaijan is advancing major “smart city,” “smart village,” and “green city” projects in the liberated territories. He cited Baku’s “White City” project as a prominent example of transforming a once-polluted area into a sustainable urban space.
Other speakers included Paul Toyne, Group Head of Sustainability at GRIMSHAW; Abdinassir Shale Sagar, World Urban Forum Coordinator at UN-Habitat; and Lin O’Grady, Lead of the Smart Cities Initiative at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). They emphasized that rapid urbanization, climate change, demographic shifts, and migration are creating significant challenges for cities worldwide.
The panel also explored topics such as climate resilience, public health and community inclusion, policy and planning, financing, international cooperation, and citizen participation in the governance of smart cities.
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