The 15th Sustainable Innovation Forum 2024, supported by “Azercell Telecom” LLC, took place on November 13-14 in Baku, bringing together approximately 1,000 senior global leaders in climate action. This prestigious event united representatives from business, finance, government, regional organizations, and NGOs to address pressing sustainability challenges, explore innovative solutions, and forge partnerships to accelerate global climate efforts.
Azercell’s Chief Legal and Data Strategy Officer, Shirin Aliyeva, participated in one of the forum’s most significant sessions—a fireside chat moderated by Nik Gowing, Chair of the Sustainable Innovation Forum. During this discussion, Ms. Aliyeva emphasized Azercell’s leadership in sustainability and its mission to drive positive change through technological innovation. She introduced Azercell’s ESG strategy, highlighting the company’s dedication to building resilient telecommunications while addressing critical industry challenges such as energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption.
Ms. Aliyeva outlined Azercell’s proactive approach to climate change, sharing that the company began deploying green technologies in Azerbaijan as early as 2017. In the Karabakh region alone, Azercell has installed 35 green base stations, which operate on renewable energy for 60% of their operational time. Additionally, the company has implemented new software to optimize base station energy consumption, significantly improving efficiency.
She also underscored Azercell’s role as a member of global climate initiatives, including the UN Global Compact and the GSMA Climate Action Taskforce, through which it encourages other market players to accelerate their environmental efforts.
Ms. Aliyeva highlighted the company’s internal initiatives, including robust green office policy and waste management efforts, which, for instance, resulted in a 27% reduction in water usage between 2022 and 2023. She also discussed Azercell’s socially impactful programs, aimed at protecting and empowering women and children, such as the “Children Hotline” and Women Hotline” and its partnerships with organizations like the Judo Federation.
The forum featured a dynamic agenda of panel discussions, interactive dialogues, keynote speeches, and live exchanges with global climate and industry leaders. Participants shared actionable strategies to accelerate the transition toward a net-zero global economy.
Azercell’s active involvement in the 15th Sustainable Innovation Forum reaffirms its commitment to leveraging technology for sustainability and advancing climate action through innovation and collaboration.
