Day: November 21, 2024

Fearing war, Georgia chooses a return to Russia’s embrace  The Washington Post

Recent developments in the Russo-Ukrainian war have raised apocalyptic concerns worldwide. After green-lighting Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russia and Moscow’s change in its nuclear doctrine, many have begun to talk about the possibility of World War III.

Following two years of negotiations and mutual visits between Equatorial Guinea and the Albayrak Group, an important cooperation agreement was signed. The operation of the Malabo and Bata Ports was transferred to the Albayrak Group at a ceremony held in the capital on November 13.

The government of Azerbaijan has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2030 and 40% by 2050.

As the host of COP29, Baku has emphasized this target as a cornerstone of its climate change strategy, with details available on the official COP29 website, cop29.az. However, for a nation heavily reliant on oil and gas production, the feasibility of these ambitious goals is under scrutiny.

According to the State Statistics Committee, Azerbaijan emitted 59 million tons of carbon equivalent in 2022—a 1.7% increase from the previous year. The energy sector is responsible for 92% of these emissions, highlighting the significant environmental impact of the country’s oil and gas industries compared to other sectors like transportation.

SOCAR’s pledge vs. reality

SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil company, joined the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) at COP28, alongside over 50 international firms. The company pledged to eliminate routine flaring by 2030, cut carbon emissions in extraction by 30%, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. However, data from SOCAR’s Sustainable Development 2023 report raises doubts about its ability to meet these targets.

In 2022, SOCAR operations emitted 8.36 million tons of greenhouse gases—an increase from 7.8 million tons the previous year. Key contributors include “Azneft” Production Union, the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery, and other facilities like the Methanol and Urea Plants.

Mirvari Kahramanli, head of the Organization for the Protection of Oil Workers’ Rights, remains skeptical. “Despite SOCAR’s commitments, the public sees little evidence of reduced emissions. Oil production will naturally decline by 2050, but I doubt emissions will reach net zero,” she told Meydan TV.

Kahramanli also criticized SOCAR’s environmental policies, noting a lack of transparency and meaningful progress. “SOCAR’s environmental track record is poor. Videos I’ve posted show the ongoing environmental damage caused by its operations,” she added.

Weak enforcement and budget cuts

Despite fines levied by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, enforcement remains weak. SOCAR and its subsidiaries reportedly pay fines using state budget funds rather than implementing significant waste reduction measures.

In 2022, SOCAR’s oil and gas operations were fined 622,642 AZN for environmental violations, and in 2023, these fines totaled 16,500 AZN. Meanwhile, the company reduced its environmental protection budget from 34 million AZN in 2022 to just 15 million in 2023—a 2.2-fold decrease.

Baku’s air pollution problem

Frequent air quality issues, particularly in Baku, have further fueled public concern. A recent incident at the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery caused a strong odor in the city, with the company attributing it to gas flaring to prevent accidents. However, experts argue that inadequate maintenance of gas capture systems exacerbates air pollution, releasing harmful gases directly into the atmosphere.

Reconstruction of the refinery, aimed at reducing emissions, has been ongoing since 2017 but remains incomplete. Emissions from the facility increased by 26% in 2022 compared to the previous year, underscoring the slow progress. The modernization project, with a budget of $2.2 billion, is critical to aligning SOCAR’s operations with international standards, yet its completion date remains uncertain.

Can Azerbaijan meet its climate goals?

Azerbaijan’s reliance on oil and gas poses significant hurdles to achieving its emission reduction targets. While SOCAR’s commitments reflect international pressure to decarbonize, critics question the company’s capacity to deliver meaningful results.

For Azerbaijan to make tangible progress, experts emphasize the need for stronger enforcement of environmental regulations, greater transparency from SOCAR, and accelerated modernization of key infrastructure. Without these measures, the country’s ambitious climate goals may remain out of reach.

The post Can Azerbaijan balance oil profits with climate commitments? appeared first on MEYDAN.TV.

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which allows for climate financing, is very important and has great potential, said Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Report informs.

COP28 Lead Negotiator Hana Alhashimi called for joining forces under COP29 presidency to combat global biodiversity loss.

The United States is seeking to sign an agreement with China to notify each other of test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), Azernews reports.

On the 11th day of COP29, focused on Nature and Biodiversity, Indigenous People, Gender Equality, and Oceans and Coastal Zones, Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, addressed the High-Level Event on Forests for Climate, Nature, and People, Azernews reports.

Reforming Abkhazia’s constitution

Following the early resignation of a third consecutive president, Abkhazia is once again seeking a way out of the political impasse that the republic repeatedly finds itself in. Many experts, including Public Chamber member Tengiz Dzopua, are convinced that the only way to stop repeating the same mistakes is to undertake constitutional reform.

Tengiz Dzopua:

The 1994 Constitution was adopted by parliament under difficult circumstances, shortly after the end of the Georgian-Abkhaz war.

Some deputies were against this constitution, which granted the president unlimited powers, but they were assured it was only a temporary measure. As it turned out, it wasn’t. Thirty years have passed, and we’re still governed by the same constitution, which has long since become outdated.

This document continues to be exploited because it allows the president to wield unchecked power, ignore the will of the people, bypass the law, and remain unaccountable.

“Investment agreement a step toward Russia’s annexation of Abkhazia.” Opinion from Tbilisi

“Russia is preparing its ‘offer’ to negotiate with the Trump administration, which will include Georgia among the territories it seeks to control”

Today, the Constitution not only fails to protect the rights and interests of citizens but also jeopardizes our future.

It enables those in power to abuse their authority, violate our rights and freedoms without remorse, betray the interests and values of the people, and evade any form of accountability.

This Constitution, along with the system it upholds, will never allow us to escape the cycle of crisis and is steering us toward civil war.

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• Op-ed: Another coup, another president ousted – how can Abkhazia break the cycle?
• Abkhazia protests against a controversial investment deal with Russia, demand president’s resignation. 15-16 November, 2024

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We urgently need to rethink everything, address our current problems and challenges, and create a new Constitution.

The 1994 Constitution is merely a relic of its time, not a symbol of the struggle, freedom, and independence of our people. These symbols lie within us, within our nation.

We must restore unity in society, strengthen institutions, embrace new ideas, set fresh goals and objectives, and find new hope.

We need a new republic—awakened and reborn.

Three key issues are particularly relevant in this context:

• The lack of accountability for the president, deputies, judges, and officials to the people;
• Chaos and disorganization in the country’s socio-political life, reflected in the ongoing, destructive confrontation between two political camps, which frequently goes beyond the bounds of legality;
• The systematic destruction of societal institutions, the erosion of the nation’s values, and the distortion—and at times, outright perversion—of fundamental ideas and goals.

Addressing these issues requires us to forge a new social contract. Here and now. Not tomorrow, not the day after—today!

No early presidential elections! Reforms first—everything else comes after!

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Reforming Abkhazia’s constitution

The number of housing sales across Turkey increased by 76.1 per cent in October compared to the same month last year, reaching 165,138. This number was recorded as the highest level reached after December 2022.