KHAGAN MIRZAZADA
PhD Candidate,
Lecturer of Baku State University
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9570-5570
FROM HYDROCARBONS TO RENEWABLES: THE GREEN ENERGY STRATEGY
OF AZERBAIJAN - CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABILITY, DIVERSIFICATION, RESILIENCE AND CONTINUITY
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2708-065X/114/224-231
The global transformation toward sustainable energy systems has intensified the need for hydrocarbon-dependent economies to reconsider their development models. Energy has historically been a critical determinant of Azerbaijan’s state power, economic stability, and geopolitical stature since the regaining of its independence by the country following the collapse of the USSR. Hydrocarbon resources—particularly oil and natural gas—played a decisive role in consolidating state institutions, ensuring macroeconomic stability, and expanding the country’s regional and international influence through major infrastructure projects and agreements including Contract of the Century and the development of pipelines networks linking the Caspian basin to European markets (Kulawczuk, 2018). Building on this historical foundation, this paper argues that Azerbaijan’s green energy strategy represents a strategic continuation of country`s traditional energy policy rather than a departure from it. By integrating renewable types, sources and initiatives into its broader energy sector and national agenda, Azerbaijan seeks to reinforce energy security, promote economic diversification, strategic continuity in the energy transition, and maintain its geopolitical relevance in a rapidly evolving global energy landscape. Additionally, the study posits that that the green energy strategy extends this legacy, weaving renewables into pursuits of security, diversification, and sustainability, beyond mere environmental gains.
Keywords: Energy Transition, Energy Strategy, Renewable Energy Diversification, Energy Security.