At the meeting chaired by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, dedicated to the "State Program for 2027–2030 on the Development of the Mining (Metal Ores) and Metallurgical Industry in the Republic of Azerbaijan," along with the expansion of the industry, issues of nature conservation and ensuring environmental standards were also in the spotlight.

Abdulrahim Dadashov, Deputy Head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), stated that although the expansion of the mining and metallurgical industry creates new opportunities for the development of the country's non-oil sector, it is essential that this process is carried out on the basis of principles of environmental sustainability alongside economic efficiency. The instructions given at the meeting by President Ilham Aliyev regarding conducting maximum environmental assessment and adhering to all environmental standards in the Western Industrial Park and other mining projects define the primary direction of this approach.

A. Dadashov noted that since mining activities are directly linked to land resources, water reserves, landscapes, and biodiversity, relying solely on extraction and financial indicators in project evaluations is inadequate. Tracking factors such as water and energy consumption in the production process, waste management, reclamation of degraded lands, emissions, and impacts on surrounding ecosystems based on measurable indicators can enable the timely identification of environmental risks.

According to him, this approach is of particular importance for the liberated territories. As noted by the head of state at the meeting, 60,000 hectares of forest fund were destroyed in the Kalbajar, Lachin, and Zangilan districts during the occupation period. At the same time, gold, copper, and molybdenum deposits in Kalbajar, Aghdara, and Zangilan are planned to be integrated into economic circulation. In this regard, the expansion of industrial activities in these areas must proceed in parallel with ecological restoration processes, and new production capacities should not impose an additional burden on past environmental damage.

A. Dadashov added that the economic scale of the program also necessitates strengthening environmental management to the same extent. By 2030, the sector's contribution to GDP is projected to increase from 700 million manats to 1.8 billion manats, annual export potential from 1.3 billion manats to 3.4 billion manats, and total investments across 2027–2030 are planned at 5.3 billion manats. Against the backdrop of such large-scale investments and production, turning environmental assessment, monitoring, and restoration mechanisms into an integral part of projects is a critical prerequisite for long-term sustainability.

He emphasized that the key challenge in the development of the mining industry is ensuring a balance between transforming natural resources into economic value and preserving natural capital. Through the application of modern technologies, high environmental standards, and continuous monitoring mechanisms, the creation of new industrial capacities can be harmonized with the preservation of a high-quality ecological environment.

It should be noted that at the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev stated that meeting the highest standards of environmental norms in mining projects is a mandatory requirement for both state-owned companies and foreign partners, underscoring that nature conservation is of a priority nature.