Baku’s Public Catering Sustainability Assessment, a joint project of the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company and AZSTANDART, is now complete.

Launched in early October, the joint project aimed to promote compliance with international and national standards for environmentally sustainable public catering, assessing restaurants’ operations against sustainable practices. The project also created Azerbaijan’s first ISO-compliant assessment scale.

The ecological sustainability assessment of public catering establishments was conducted free of charge by AZSTANDART, based on relevant international and national standards.

The assessment covered criteria such as energy efficiency, water conservation, waste sorting and management according to sustainability standards, and employee safety regulations.

Participating establishments that met the criteria received special certifications confirming their adherence to sustainability standards.

These designations, displayed at restaurant entrances, will verify their compliance with established criteria and reliability. Certified restaurants will also be featured on an interactive map on the official COP29 website.

Furthermore, each participating establishment received a report with recommendations for improving future operations and aligning with best international practices in sustainability.

The assessment scale developed for this project will allow Baku restaurants to continuously evaluate their alignment with sustainable management standards and improve their services as needed.