BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 12. The Mediterranean region needs decarbonization, Grammenos Mastrojeni Senior Deputy Secretary General at the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean, said at a panel session titled "Mediterranean Momentum: Accelerating Towards 1TW Renewable Energy by 2030" within COP29 in Baku today, TurkicWorld reports.
According to him, failure to decarbonize the region will have a number of consequences.
"The Mediterranean is the second fastest-warming region in the world, with projected consequences that, frankly, are frightening. In a few years, 250 million people will face water scarcity," said Mastroeni.
According to him, renewable energy is not just about decarbonization. Nature has distributed potential evenly. Those who "lack sunlight" are rich in other resources, like wind energy. However, resources such as uranium or other materials hidden deep underground are accessible only to a few.
"Therefore, renewable energy is sovereignty. Renewable energy is jobs. But in the case of the Mediterranean, it is also the largest unification of human communities. Renewable energy is peace. We are at the center of large-scale negotiations for the integration of the southern and northern shores within the framework of the 'green' transition.
The European Union is aiming for decarbonization, and this is impossible without the contribution of the southern potential. However, the potential of southern countries cannot be developed solely on the basis of local markets," he added.
To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will run until November 22, opened on November 11 at the Baku Olympic Stadium.
The event is the largest organized by Azerbaijan to date and is the first time the region has hosted the event in Azerbaijan. Within COP29, the highest-level event - the summit of world leaders on climate action - will be held on November 12–13.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. The COP29 chairmanship has launched 14 initiatives that include linkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals, including green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, action on green digital technologies, and other topics.
