On March 3, the Baku Convention Center hosted the Green Energy Projects session held as part of the 12th Ministerial Meeting of Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and 4th Ministerial Meeting of Green Energy Advisory Council.

Addressing the event, Leyla Aliyeva touched upon the challenges of the Caspian Sea, emphasizing that they are becoming more worrying with each passing year.

“I must say that this is an issue concerning not only us but also other neighboring countries of the Caspian Sea. In fact, the Caspian Sea is a mirror of a wider global ecosystem. So, if the Caspian Sea is in trouble, it means the wider world ecosystem is in trouble. And today, of course, it raises a lot of concern. But I believe in positive thinking. So, I am sure that, together, we can do everything possible to make sure that the level of the Caspian Sea will rise again and we will not let it disappear like the Aral Sea or Lake Urmia,” she added.

Leyla Aliyeva emphasized that the Caspian Sea has lost much of its marine biodiversity over the last 100 years, declining from 1 million to 200,000 species, while underscoring the country’s ambition to become a regional green energy leader.

In her remarks, Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Director of the Energy Platform Task Force at the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission, highlighted how renewable technologies boost energy security, reduce fossil fuel dependence, and create new industrial opportunities.

Discussing Azerbaijan’s renewable energy prospects, Javid Abdullayev, Director of the State Agency for Renewable Energy Sources at the Ministry of Energy, highlighted progress in developing bioenergy, geothermal energy, and green hydrogen. He added that, as part of international cooperation, key action plans have been drawn up to turn Karabakh, East Zangezur, and Nakhchivan into “green energy” zones.

Elmir Musayev, CEO of SOCAR Green, the subsidiary of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), highlighted efforts to decarbonize oil and gas facilities and consolidate expertise in Azerbaijan through international collaboration.

Murad Sadigov, Director of Masdar Azerbaijan LLC; Polina Lyubomirova, Director of Business Development at ACWA Power; Ayla Azizova, Senior Finance Manager for Azerbaijan–Georgia–Türkiye region at bp; James Humphrey, Executive Director of the Xlinks project; Wiebke Schloemer, Director for Western Balkans and South Caucasus at the International Finance Corporation; and others spoke of the prospects in the renewable energy sector.