BCCA hosts major discussion on sustainable finance in Azerbaijan [PHOTOS]

On May 15, 2026, British Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan
(BCCA) Sustainability and Energy Committee hosted a panel
discussion on Sustainable Finance, AzerNEWS
reports.

The panel brought together representatives from the Central Bank
of the Republic of Azerbaijan (CBAR), Azerbaijan Business
Development Fund (ABDF), Baku Stock Exchange (BSE), and Azerbaijan
Airlines (AZAL) to explore how the integration of ESG principles
and green financial instruments will serve as the primary drivers
for Azerbaijan’s long-term economic resilience and global
competitiveness.

Moderated by Gurban Karimbayli, Head of Sustainable Development
Department at AZAL, the session emphasized that sustainable finance
has evolved from a matter of corporate responsibility to a
strategic economic priority. “Today, sustainable finance is no
longer just an environmental or reputational issue, it is a
strategic driver of investment, resilience, competitiveness, and
long-term business value creation,” Karimbayli noted.

Mr. Rustam Tahirov, Director of the Financial Sector Sustainable
Development Department at CBAR, shared critical updates on the
country’s regulatory roadmap. He highlighted Azerbaijan’s recent
achievement of becoming a full member of the Network for Greening
the Financial System (NGFS) as of April 30, 2026, which is expected
to enhance opportunities for sustainable investment and green
capital allocation in the country. Mr. Tahirov detailed the CBAR’s
progress on National Green Taxonomy and the implementation of an
ESG Risk Radar, designed to help financial institutions identify
and mitigate climate-related vulnerabilities.

Mr. Emil Mammadov, Chief Financial Officer at ABDF, focused on
the practical application of sustainable finance for local
enterprises. He emphasized that the Fund is prioritizing soft loans
for green and digital projects, with interest rates as low as 5%
and tenors up to 10 years. Mammadov stressed that ESG integration
is no longer optional but is now a “survivability factor” for
companies seeking long-term resilience and competitiveness in a
globalized economy.

Discussing the potential of capital markets, Dr. Farid
Abbaszada, Head of Trading Floor at BSE, provided an eye-opening
perspective on the scale of the sector. He noted that the total
size of the sustainable capital market has reached a staggering
$9.1 trillion USD globally, highlighting the immense opportunity
for Azerbaijan to attract green investment through instruments such
as green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs).

This panel clearly demonstrated that sustainable finance is no
longer a niche topic. It is increasingly becoming a core pillar of
economic resilience, investment attractiveness, competitiveness,
and long-term value creation, while also highlighting the
importance of cross-sector partnerships, dynamic materiality, and
countering short-termism in strategic decision-making.