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ADB: Expanding Baku Metro passenger capacity could cut carbon emissions by 70,000 tons annually

04 July 2026 11:32 (UTC +04:00)

An increase in the number of passengers using the Baku Metro could contribute significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, APA-Economics reports, citing an assessment by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

According to the report, the Baku Metro network was 37 kilometers long in 2017 and transported more than 222 million passengers during the year. The document notes that the development of metro transport in Azerbaijan and the construction of new stations are also identified as one of the priority areas in the country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

According to ADB calculations, taking into account the monitoring results of the Delhi Metro and Azerbaijan's electricity carbon emission factor, each passenger using the metro prevents approximately 700 grams of CO₂ emissions. In this regard, transporting an additional 100 million passengers could reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 70,000 tons annually.

The report states that, under the current methodology of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for mass public transport projects, the Baku Metro could be considered eligible for a carbon market project. However, the preparation and monitoring of such projects is a complex process. Therefore, for such projects to be economically viable, it is considered appropriate for the annual emission reduction to amount to at least 50,000 tons of CO₂.

Azerbaijan Baku Metro Asian Development Bank ADB greenhouse gas emissions CO2 emissions climate change UNFCCC carbon market public transport Nationally Determined Contributions NDC sustainable transport environmental protection