Pere Joan Pons meeting with Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova in Baku, 18 Nov. 2024BAKU, 18 November 2024 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on Climate Change and Vice-President Pere Joan Pons (Spain) is in Baku, Azerbaijan, today, joining thousands of delegates – including about 100 world leaders – at the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Special Representative Pons’s presence in Baku marks the first time that the PA has officially participated in the UNFCCC process. He spoke at the OSCE official side event entitled “Advancing a Climate-Resilient, Green, and Just Energy Transition.” The objective of the event was to raise awareness about the energy-climate-security nexus and promote international co-operation in this regard.
In his remarks, Pons emphasized that there can be no global security without tackling global warming. “We need to accelerate political change,” Pons said, “in order to promote a just transition and ensure an equitable and fair distribution of responsibility.”
He highlighted in particular the role of parliamentarians in ensuring that governments meet their commitments on climate goals, as well as prioritizing affordable, secure, clean, and resilient energy. National parliaments must step up to promote stability through green economic initiatives, connectivity, and sustainable development, he emphasized.
“The energy transition is an opportunity for enterprises, and if done properly will contribute to economic growth and the creation of quality jobs,” Pons said. “Rather than ‘climate populism,’ what we need are strong public and private partnerships that involve all stakeholders.”
While in Baku, Pons met with Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Energy Elnur Soltanov, who is serving as the chief executive officer of COP29, as well as Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov.
In discussions, Pons noted that Azerbaijan’s focus on sustainability, energy transition, and climate resilience aligns closely with the priorities of the OSCE PA. He pointed out that over the years the OSCE PA has been a pioneer in recognizing the interconnected and multifaceted nature of security threats posed by climate change, environmental degradation, and pollution, as well as their impact on people and the planet's health. Through the work of the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment, the PA seeks to contribute to numerous initiatives to facilitate knowledge sharing and promote concerted actions among policymakers in this field, Pons said.
The Special Representative also highlighted the PA’s recent Autumn Meeting in Dublin that featured a session focused on addressing the climate crisis and the role of MPs in fulfilling global commitments ahead of COP29. He noted that he presented a Parliamentary Call for Global Action in Response to Climate Change, which advocates for a fair and equitable transition to a zero-emissions economy, enhanced resilience for vulnerable communities, and effective management of climate-induced migration.
For more information on the work of the Special Representative on Climate Change, please click here.
