Azerbaijan cuts paper use with digital government
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Rashad Hasanov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport in Azerbaijan, explained how the country is using digital technologies to address climate change and promote sustainability.
Azerbaijan’s state institutions now exchange documents digitally, saving 4.8 million pages of paper each month. This shift protects over 6,000 trees annually and reduces the need for citizens to repeatedly visit government offices.
Hasanov highlighted that digital transformation must consider its own environmental impact, noting the ICT sector accounts for 1.5 to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. He stated that advanced cooling systems could lower energy use in data centers by as much as 40%. Azerbaijan is consolidating its state information systems into a “Government Cloud” with a goal of completion by December 2027, intending to cut costs, improve cybersecurity, and support artificial intelligence.
The country also uses its Azersky satellite, remote sensing, and geographic information systems to monitor environmental changes like drought and water levels in the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan is also powering its telecommunications infrastructure with renewable energy, having installed 35 solar-powered base stations in the Karabakh region. These efforts align with the goals of the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action, which Azerbaijan supported with 75 other countries and over 1,000 organizations.
