BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 8. Azerbaijan is
set to develop a national roadmap aimed at reducing methane
emissions in the agricultural sector, the Climate and Clean Air
Coalition (CCAC) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) representative
Amina Akhmetzhanova said, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
She made the remarks on the second day of Baku Climate Action
Week 2026 (BCAW 2026).
She said that CCAC supports countries in addressing short-lived
climate pollutants, including methane, black carbon,
hydrofluorocarbons and tropospheric ozone. “Methane is particularly
important because it is a powerful but relatively short-lived
climate pollutant. This means that reducing methane emissions can
help slow the pace of global warming within a relatively short
period of time,” Akhmetzhanova said.
She noted that discussions on reducing methane emissions in
agriculture should focus not only on emissions cuts, but also on
the benefits these measures can bring to farmers and production
efficiency. “Reducing methane emissions can support farmers,
increase productivity, improve the efficiency of agricultural
resource use and create investment opportunities,” she said.
According to Akhmetzhanova, improving the quality and
optimization of animal feed can help livestock use feed more
efficiently, increase milk and meat production, while reducing
methane emissions.
She added that improving animal health, breeding practices and
herd management can also contribute to higher productivity and more
efficient use of resources. “Better manure management can reduce
methane emissions while also creating additional value. In some
agricultural systems, manure can be used as a source of biogas and
energy. Therefore, it should not be viewed only as waste,”
Akhmetzhanova said.
She noted that Azerbaijan already has an important foundation
for advancing this work. Azerbaijan became a government partner of
CCAC in 2024 and has also joined the Global Methane Pledge. “As a
participant in the Global Methane Pledge, Azerbaijan contributes to
the collective goal of countries to reduce methane emissions by 30%
by 2030 compared with 2020 levels,” she said.
Akhmetzhanova added that the modernization of Azerbaijan’s
agricultural development program provides an important opportunity
to link climate action with the modernization of the livestock
sector, increased productivity and improved resilience. “Within
this framework, we are pleased to announce cooperation between the
Ministry of Agriculture and CCAC. We have launched a project to
develop a National Roadmap for reducing methane emissions in
agriculture, with a focus on the livestock sector,” she said.
According to her, the main objective of the roadmap is to
develop a practical action plan aligned with Azerbaijan’s national
circumstances and priorities.
Akhmetzhanova said the roadmap will first identify the main
sources of emissions. The assessment will examine methane emissions
in Azerbaijan’s livestock sector, production systems, animal
digestion processes and manure management practices. “The second
key question is which solutions are most suitable for Azerbaijan’s
livestock sector. The roadmap will assess priority measures
tailored to the country’s agricultural sector, including improved
feeding practices, animal health development and manure
management,” she added.
