BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 28.
The implementation of measures across five key areas is envisaged
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas sector by
2060 within the framework of Azerbaijan's "Long-term Low-Carbon
Development Strategy," Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Ecology
and Natural Resources, Farman Gurbanli, said during the 9th
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Dialogue held in Baku on
Wednesday, Trend’s
correspondent reports from the event.


Gurbanli noted that several key areas have been identified for
combating climate change and achieving the targets set for
2060.


"Accelerating the transition to 'green energy,' improving water
and waste management, enhancing resilience to climate change, and
strengthening transparency are among these key areas," he
explained.


The ministry’s representative emphasized that increasing the
potential of natural carbon sinks, particularly forests, also holds
a significant place in the strategy.


According to him, while the role of forests in mitigating the
impacts of climate change may be limited compared to other areas,
efforts to develop this sector and expand forest potential are
ongoing.


Gurbanli remarked that the energy sector plays a particularly
important role in reaching the established climate targets.


"The energy sector is, in fact, one of the major sources of
greenhouse gas emissions." "Therefore, successful initiatives have
already been launched in the oil and gas sector, with the aim of
implementing comprehensive measures based on existing technological
capabilities," he added.







He pointed out that the first approach to reducing emissions in
the oil and gas sector by 2060 involves increasing energy
efficiency in operations. More efficient energy use will facilitate
a reduction in emissions resulting from combustion processes. These
measures are also intended to contribute to the promotion of
affordable and clean energy, one of the SDGs.


The second approach entails the electrification of equipment and
ensuring that it operates on electricity derived from renewable
energy sources. It's envisaged to increase the number of electric
vehicles in the transport and public transit sectors, as well as
expande the use of renewable energy sources for charging these
vehicles in the future.


The third area of focus is the reduction of direct methane
releases into the atmosphere. To achieve this, plans are in place
to improve operational processes and implement more efficient
technologies. Within this framework, it is also intended to
partially reduce flaring, a process currently carried out for
safety reasons.


The fourth area involves the timely detection and elimination of
leaks from equipment and pipelines. These measures aim to decrease
the volume of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere due to
such leaks.


The fifth area concerns the development of programs for
emissions offsetting. This includes contributing to emissions
reduction and the sequestration of atmospheric greenhouse gases
through initiatives such as reforestation and investments in
renewable energy projects.


Gurbanli emphasized that the comprehensive implementation of
these measures will facilitate emissions reductions across key
sectors, including energy, oil and gas, transport, industry,
buildings, waste management, agriculture, and forestry.