Azerbaijani president stresses unified approach to tackle climate threat after Trump withdrawal

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has emphasized the need for major countries to make "consolidated" efforts to address the urgent challenges of climate change, which he said pose an "existential threat" to many vulnerable nations around the world.

Aliyev was speaking after U.S. President Donald Trump moved to sign dozens of executive orders following his inauguration on Monday, including one withdrawing the U.S. from the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change.

In an exclusive interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Aliyev discussed the widespread dismay over the U.S. pulling out of the accord, particularly from the countries who are facing the gravest climate threats.

He noted Azerbaijan has been actively pushing for greater climate action, highlighted by its hosting of COP29, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC), last year.

"Actually, when we became deeply involved in the issues related to climate change, we've seen that there is a big level of disappointment in the countries which have existential threats with respect to climate change. We all suffer from that, including Azerbaijan, but there are countries, especially small island states, which face an existential threat. And their case sometimes was not put on the center of the agenda," said Aliyev.

He stressed how the these smaller countries' lack of financial resources puts them at greater risk of the impact of climate change, and emphasized the importance of a unified approach from the world’s major powers to help those most in need.

"It is obvious that without the consolidated approach of big actors, it will be difficult to support those countries, and those countries who don't have financial resources to address climatic issues," the president added.

Further underlining the efforts Azerbaijian is taking towards a more green and sustainable future, Aliyev shared that the country has set clear clean energy targets in the coming years and welcomes investment to meet these goals. He also noted that Chinese technologies are playing a big role in the transition.

"Our immediate target by 2027 is to have two gigawatts of solar and wind, and by 2030, six gigawatt. And that will be kind of revolution in the energy mix in Azerbaijan. I'd like also to say that the investors, which are investing -- [including] foreign companies -- in these projects, [and] including local companies from Azerbaijan, they use Chinese technology. Solar panels are produced in China. Now our team is working on storage capacity. And we found out that the best batteries are in China," he said.

Azerbaijani president stresses unified approach to tackle climate threat after Trump withdrawal

Azerbaijani president stresses unified approach to tackle climate threat after Trump withdrawal

The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered a humanitarian crisis, leaving millions in Sudan, especially women and children, struggling with food insecurity, displacement, and violence.

The armed conflict that erupted in Sudan in mid-April 2023 has been ongoing for nearly two years, creating a severe humanitarian disaster in the country. A recent report released by the United Nations indicates that by 2025, more than 15 million women in Sudan will require humanitarian assistance.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)'s report -- "Sudan: Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025 - Overview" -- highlights that Sudanese women and children are disproportionately affected by the conflict, facing more acute challenges such as food shortages, survival crises, and the risk of gender-based violence.

The report reveals that approximately 24.6 million people in Sudan are in a state of "severe food insecurity" or worse, with women and children being particularly vulnerable. They face greater difficulties in accessing food, drinking water, healthcare, and ensuring their personal safety.

"Life is so hard. We don't have clean drinking water, and the water supply in grocery stores has also been cut off. We are short of food and water, and we are in despair. The prices of everything are continuously rising," said Sakina Ahmed, a resident.

Due to the severe damage and shortages in healthcare facilities, the situation for pregnant women and newborns in Sudan is dire. According to data from Sudan's Ministry of Health, 295 out of every 100,000 pregnant women die, and 51 out of every 1,000 newborns die.

Additionally, Sudan's education system has been severely disrupted by the conflict. Over 10,000 schools have been closed as a result of the fighting, and more than 90 percent of the 19 million school-age children are unable to access formal education, with girls being particularly affected by school dropouts, the report said.

"I was an eighth-grade student, but because of the conflict, I've been out of school for one year and four months," said Asrar Essam.

According to a statement by the UN resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, the armed conflict, along with the resulting mass displacement of people and widespread food insecurity, has led to a significant increase in gender-based violence, including sexual assaults.

The UN has called on Sudan to establish non-violent response mechanisms and strengthen accountability systems to safeguard the safety and dignity of all vulnerable groups. Most importantly, the UN has emphasized the urgent need to end the armed conflict and restore peace and stability.

Women, children face dire struggles amid ongoing Sudan armed conflict