Current targets and policies will increase Azerbaijan’s greenhouse gas emissions by around 20% between now and 2030, Climate Action Tracker said on Wednesday. The COP29 host, a petrostate, came under fire last week for failing to mention the fossil fuel phaseout in its list of priorities for the upcoming summit.

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Azerbaijan, the country selected to host the year’s most important climate summit, is “moving backward” on climate action, an assessment of its climate policies revealed.

Conducted by Climate Action Tracker (CAT), an independent scientific project monitoring governments emissions reduction plans, the analysis concluded that the country’s policies and targets are “far from consistent” with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to “well below” 2C by the end of the century.

To avoid overshooting the Paris goal completely, the world would need to reduce emissions by 43% compared with levels in 2019. And yet, according to CAT, Azerbaijan’s greenhouse gas emissions are set to rise by 20% to 2030.

In its latest Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submission, the country pledged to achieve a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century compared to 1990 levels. However, it dropped a 2030 target that was included in its predecessor.

NDCs are national plans for emissions reduction that each signatory to the Paris Agreement is required to set up and update every five years. According to Article 4.3 of the agreement, each submission should be more ambitious than the previous ones.

“Overall, we rate Azerbaijan’s climate action as ‘Critically insufficient’,” the assessment concluded. “Along with setting a more stringent climate target, Azerbaijan needs to significantly increase the ambition of its climate policies to reverse the present rapid growth in emissions and set its emissions on a firm downward trajectory.”

Azerbaijan is a highly fossil fuel-dependent state and the oldest oil-producing region in the world. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil and gas account for about 90% of the nation’s exports’ revenue and 60% of the government’s budget.

The United Nations came under fire in January after appointing the petrostate to lead the COP29 summit in November, the third petrostate in a row to host the talks after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year and Egypt in 2022. 

In April, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said his country will continue to invest in gas production in order to meet European Union demand for energy in a “sign of responsibility.” The remarks were part of his opening speech on the second day of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, a yearly international conference co-hosted by the German Foreign Office and the current COP presidency that brings together selected countries to prepare for the UN summit.

“Having oil and gas deposits is not our fault. It’s a gift of God. We must be judged not by that but on how we use this resource for the development of the country, for reduction of poverty, unemployment and what is our target with respect to [the] green agenda,” Aliyev remarked.

Last week, the COP29 host was once again at the center of criticism for failing to include any mentions of a plan to phase out fossil fuels in its summit’s Action Agenda. Instead, the country outlined global energy storage, electric grids, and climate finance as priorities.

This is despite the COP28 deal’s unprecedented call to “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner to achieve net-zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.”

The burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat is the single-largest source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the primary drivers of global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere and raising Earth’s surface temperature.

Global fossil fuel consumption has more than doubled in the last 50 years as countries around the world have worked to improve their standards of living and economic output. Scientists have long warned that curbing fossil fuel extraction and consumption is the only way to halt global warming and secure a liveable future.

The post COP29 Host Azerbaijan’s Climate Action ‘Critically Insufficient’ to Meet Paris Goal, Assessment Reveals appeared first on Earth.Org.

Azerbaijan’s ecology minister and COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev said climate finance, energy storage and grids and methane reduction were “top priorities” at the upcoming summit.

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Azerbaijan has unveiled a list of priorities for the upcoming climate summit, which included global energy storage, electric grids, and climate finance but left out the production and consumption of planet-warming fossil fuels.

In a letter to Parties and Constituencies published Tuesday, the COP29 Presidency outlined a series of voluntary initiatives and outcomes on its Action Agenda, laying out in full the series of pledges and declarations that it will use to supplement the negotiated COP agenda and accelerate climate action.

Climate change affects everyone differently: We face extreme heat, water scarcity, and declining water levels in the Caspian Sea that have a direct impact on our lives and livelihoods,” the letter, signed by Azerbaijan’s ecology minister and COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev, read. “But we are also a source of solutions and opportunities, such as our abundant wind and solar potential, which can play an important role in the renewable energy landscape, supporting transition to low-emissions and climate resilient development not only at the national, but also at the regional and global level, and we are determined to lead by example.

Through two initiatives – the Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF) and the Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment and Trade (BICFIT) – Azerbaijan is making climate finance its top priority. Announced in July, the CFAF will be capitalized with contributions from fossil fuel-producing countries and companies, with Azerbaijan as the founding contributor. Funds will be directed towards climate mitigation, adaptation, and R&D projects in developing countries as well as to support the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to limit global warming to 1.5C as set out in the Paris Agreement.

However, there is little indication that countries will be able to agree on a new global climate fundraising goal, which a recent UN report says needs to reach at least $500 billion per year. 

The Presidency is also committing to increasing global energy storage capacity six times above 2022 levels, reaching 1,500 gigawatts by 2030, through grid enhancement; accelerating climate-positive digitalisation and emission reductions in the Information and Communication Technology sector; and reducing methane emissions from the waste sector.

The outcome Declaration will also include targets for tourism in NDCs to promote sustainability and increase the sector’s resilience as well as calls for integrated approached to combat water-related issues, as outlined in the Action Agenda.

“We have developed initiatives to address all climate pillars, involve global, regional, national and subnational groups, take a holistic view of sustainable development, and include all demographics within an inclusive process that delivers inclusive outcomes.”

In July, the Presidency unveiled the two-week agenda and thematic days, which include climate finance, youth, education, tourism and gender equality.

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev came under fire in January after appointing a 28-member, all-men committee tasked with preparing and implementing the Action Plan related to the organization and conduct of the summit. Following widespread backlash and criticism, Aliyev later announced the addition of 12 women, bringing the total number to 40.

On Monday, 122 civil society groups led by the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC), one of the nine stakeholder groups of the UNFCCC, sent a letter to the COP29 Presidency decrying the lack of progress on negotiations to renew the flagship gender action plan under the UNFCCC. The letter expresses concern about the lack of progress on the Enhanced Lima Work Programme, which aims to advance gender balance and integrate gender considerations, and criticises the lack of official response to previous efforts to raise the issue.

“The COP29 Presidency is failing to deliver for women in all their diversity, with a worrying lack of progress on negotiations to renew the Gender Action Plan,” said WGC’s Gina Cortés Valderrama. “Talks in Baku in November will only succeed if the essential groundwork is done in advance, but with only 2 months left to go, time is running out. We’re launching an urgent appeal to the Presidency to work with us to ensure climate action and gender justice go hand in hand.” 

Reactions

Several UN bodies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, congratulated Babayev and said they welcomed the agenda.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the agenda “ambitious,” adding that it “further prioritizes health in the drive for stronger climate action.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Executive Director of Partnerships at UNICEF Van der Heijden pledged to “continue to work closely with COP29 and alongside partners to ensure Parties deliver child-responsive policies, finance and action for a better future for every child.”

Controversies

Notably, the Action Agenda did not include any mentions of phasing out planet-warming fossil fuels: coal, natural gas, and oil. This is despite the COP28 deal’s unprecedented call to “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner to achieve net-zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.”

The burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat is the single-largest source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the primary drivers of global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere and raising Earth’s surface temperature. Global fossil fuel consumption has more than doubled in the last 50 years as countries around the world have worked to improve their standards of living and economic output. However, scientists have long warned that curbing fossil fuel extraction and consumption is the only way to halt global warming and secure a liveable future.

The appointment of Azerbaijan, a highly fossil fuel-dependent state and the oldest oil-producing region in the world, as the COP29 host has reignited debates over the role of fossil fuels in the UN summit as it marked the third petrostate in a row to host the talks after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year and Egypt in 2022. 

Similar to last year’s talks, which were led by the head of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) Sultan Al-Jaber, Babayev has ties with the fossil fuel industry and worked at state-owned oil and gas company Socar for more than two decades.

Countless environmental groups and countries called on the UN – which organizes COP meetings – to push for the adoption of conflict of interest guidelines for the COP presidency.

In May, 26 US lawmakers said they were “deeply concerned” by Babayev’s appointment in an open letter addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Climate Envoy John Podesta. They also warned that Azerbaijan’s “poor human-rights record” and fossil fuel dependency could compromise the UN climate talks.

In April, Aliyev said his country will continue to invest in gas production in order to meet European Union demand for energy in a “sign of responsibility.” The remarks were part of his opening speech on the second day of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, a yearly international conference co-hosted by the German Foreign Office and the current COP presidency that brings together selected countries to prepare for the UN summit.

“Having oil and gas deposits is not our fault. It’s a gift of God,” he said. “We must be judged not by that but on how we use this resource for the development of the country, for reduction of poverty, unemployment and what is our target with respect to [the] green agenda,” Aliyev remarked.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil and gas account for about 90% of Azerbaijan’s exports’ revenue and 60% of the government’s budget.

Featured image: IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis.

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A major international climate change conference has just concluded in Bonn, Germany. The yearly event sets the stage for the topics that will be covered during the upcoming COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. Here are the main takeaways from the conference and how they will influence negotiations in November.

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What Is the Bonn Climate Change Conference?

Held annually by the United Nations, the Bonn Climate Change Conference is the mid-year gathering of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA). The Subsidiary Bodies only meet twice a year: in Bonn in the middle of the year and at the Conference of the Parties (COP), which is typically held between November and December.

Formally known as the Sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies (SBs), the 60th meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB60) concluded earlier this month.

UNFCCC countries negotiate procedures for implementing agreements reached at the previous COP, and the outcomes are likely to influence discussions and negotiations at COP, with recommendations made at the June meetings often appearing in the final decisions acted upon by parties at the UN summit. 

You might also like: Explainer: What Is the UNFCCC?

What Were the Key Outcomes of SB60?

Here is a summary of some of the outcomes. The full report can be found here. 

1. Climate Finance

One of the central issues at the Bonn 2024 conference was the ongoing negotiation over climate finance, particularly the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). The NCQG aims to mobilise substantial financial resources from developed nations to support climate action in developing countries. This goal is set to replace the $100 billion target established at COP21 in Paris. Negotiations at Bonn sought to lay the groundwork for more ambitious and achievable targets post-2025. However the process of negotiating the NCQG has faced significant challenges. Nations have disagreed on almost every aspect of the new target, including the total amount of money to be provided, the contributors, the recipients, and the types of funds to be included. 

Developing countries consistently argued for climate finance to be provided in the form of grants rather than loans, to avoid further indebting nations already grappling with economic challenges exacerbated by climate impacts. They emphasised that grants would provide more direct and effective support for their mitigation and adaptation efforts, enabling them to tackle climate impacts without the added strain of loan repayments.

The Climate Action Network (CAN) – a global network of more than 1,900 civil society organisations in over 130 countries – highlighted the need for the European Union (EU) to make clear moves in support of an ambitious climate finance agreement, emphasising that the bloc “must be a driving force for agreeing a robust new climate finance goal for post-2025 that centres public finance and is needs-based, fair, and equitable.” 

The conference also saw intense discussions on the allocation of climate finance across different needs, including mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage (see point 3), with delegates emphasising the need for balanced allocation to ensure comprehensive support in all climate action areas. 

Despite these efforts, there were substantial disagreements amongst delegates regarding the accountability and transparency of financial commitments. Developing countries demanded clear mechanisms to ensure that pledged funds are delivered and effectively utilised. The lack of progress on these fronts was a major point of contention, with several delegates expressing frustration at the slow pace of negotiations. 

Simon Stiell, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, underscored the urgency of resolving these issues, stating: “We’ve left ourselves with a very steep mountain to climb to achieve ambitious outcomes.” His remarks reflected a broader sentiment that while some progress was made, the pace and scale of commitments need to be significantly ramped up to meet the demands of the climate crisis.

2. Article 6

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement includes provisions for both market-based and non-market-based approaches to carbon reduction. 

In Bonn, significant strides were made to clarify the rules for implementing Articles 6.2 and 6.4. The former allows for the transfer of carbon credits between countries through bilateral or multilateral agreements, while the latter establishes a centralised mechanism for creating and trading high-quality carbon credits. 

Delegates focused on ensuring that carbon markets operate with high transparency and environmental integrity. However, these discussions also highlighted several challenges that need to be addressed before finalising the mechanisms at COP29.

More on the topic: Explainer: What Is Article 6 of the Paris Agreement?

A primary concern in the negotiations was maintaining the environmental integrity of carbon markets. Delegates worked on establishing robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems to ensure that carbon credits represent real, measurable, and additional emissions reductions. Developing countries emphasised the need for capacity building and technical assistance to effectively participate in carbon markets. The discussions highlighted the importance of providing these countries with the necessary resources and expertise to develop and implement carbon market projects. 

Progress was also made on the operational details of the Article 6.4 mechanism, which is intended to function similarly to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, albeit with enhanced features. Delegates discussed the roles and responsibilities of the supervisory body, the processes for approving and validating projects, and the criteria for issuing carbon credits. These discussions aimed to ensure the mechanism supports high-quality projects that deliver genuine emissions reductions. However, while significant strides were made, it remains to be seen if these objectives will be fully met. The emphasis on establishing robust MRV systems is promising, but the effectiveness of these measures will depend on their implementation and enforcement in practice.

3. Loss and Damage Fund

With the fund set up and attention turning to the new, post-2025 climate finance target – the NCQG – the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) was less prominent in the Bonn discussions. Set up at COP27 in Egypt, the LDF aims to provide financial assistance to countries and communities of the Global South that are most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. The LDF was first proposed to compensate vulnerable countries for these damages, and its operationalisation at COP28 was viewed as a “historic” achievement.

More on the topic: Explainer: What Is Loss and Damage Compensation?

One of the many sticking points in the discussion of the NCQG was developing countries’ insistence that there should be a separate “window” specifically earmarked for loss and damage, as well as funds for mitigation and adaptation. A joint document submitted by the LDCs and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) emphasised that the money for this loss and damage “sub-goal” in the NCQG should predominantly come from public and grant-based money. However, developed countries opposed this view, arguing that loss and damage finance is not part of the NCQG’s mandate. They contended that including it within the target would stretch existing resources thinner, rather than provide new finance. 

The question of loss and damage finance was deferred until COP29, with parties unable to find any compromise.

4. Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies

Adaptation strategies – which focus on adjusting to the effects of climate change, and mitigation strategies – aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, were also at the center of negotiations.

A significant portion of the Bonn discussions centred on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). Established in the 2015 Paris Agreement, the goal seeks to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change. The Adaptation Committee’s report highlighted that while some progress has been made, many countries, particularly developing nations, still lack the necessary resources and infrastructure to implement effective adaptation strategies. 

Stiell stressed the urgency of scaling up adaptation efforts, noting that “adaptation is not an option but a necessity for survival for many communities around the world.” He urged developed nations to increase their support, both financially and technically, to help vulnerable countries build resilience against climate impacts. Delegates also emphasised the need for robust frameworks to measure and track progress in adaptation efforts.

Mitigation strategies were also debated, focusing in particular on the implementation of the Mitigation Ambition and Implementation Work Program (MWP), which aims to accelerate efforts to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement targets. However, the discussions revealed significant divisions among parties. Some countries pushed for more ambitious targets and immediate action, while others, particularly those reliant on fossil fuels, were more cautious about committing to stringent emissions reductions. 

The importance of integrating the outcomes of the Global Stocktake (GST) into the MWP was another recurring theme. The GST, which assesses collective progress towards the Paris Agreement goals, indicated that current efforts are insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5C. Delegates discussed how the findings of the GST could inform and enhance national climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), to ensure they are more ambitious and aligned with global climate goals.

Lastly, mitigation discussions also touched upon the contentious issue of phasing out fossil fuels. At COP28, countries pledged for the first time to “transition away” from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources. In Bonn, delegates worked on operationalising this commitment, exploring pathways to implement just transitions that do not disproportionately impact vulnerable populations. This included debates on financial mechanisms to support workers and communities dependent on the fossil fuel industry as they transition to greener economies. 

You might also like: Assessing Global Progress on Climate Adaptation

The Road to COP29

The 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference has highlighted both progress and challenges in global climate negotiations. Despite some advancements in areas such as climate finance and carbon market mechanisms, significant disagreements and setbacks persist, particularly in addressing loss and damage and ensuring effective adaptation and mitigation strategies.

The outcomes of Bonn 2024 lay the groundwork for critical decisions at COP29. All parties must intensify their efforts to bridge divides and work collaboratively to meet urgent challenges posed by climate change. All eyes are now on Azerbaijan, the host nation for COP29, a country with significant fossil fuel interests. Criticisms regarding Azerbaijan’s human rights record and its plans to expand gas operations highlight the complexities involved in setting ambitious climate finance goals and ensuring that the commitments made translate into actionable plans.

Featured image: UNclimatechange/Flickr.

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In a letter to White House officials, 26 US lawmakers warned Azerbaijan’s “poor human-rights record” and fossil fuel dependency could compromise the UN climate talks.

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A group of US lawmakers has urged White House officials to push for the adoption of conflict of interest guidelines for the COP presidency, warning of the risks associated with the appointment of fossil state Azerbaijan to host the upcoming summit.

In an open letter addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Climate Envoy John Podesta, the 26 signatories said they were “deeply concerned” by the appointment of Azeri Ecology Minister Mukhtar Babayev to lead November’s talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, the third petrostate in a row to host the talks after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year and Egypt in 2022. 

Before his appointment as minister of ecology and natural resources in 2018, Babayev, a member of the ruling right-wing New Azerbaijan Party, worked at the state-owned oil and gas company Socar for more than two decades, during which he also briefly served as the company’s vice-president for ecology.

It is not the first time a COP president has ties with the fossil fuel industry. The highly-controversial COP28 summit in Dubai last November was led by Sultan Al-Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), a state-owned company that pumps almost all the crude oil in the UAE and produces about 3.2 million barrels a day.

“Fossil fuel companies bear the largest responsibility for the climate crisis that is already harming millions of people across the globe. Yet these same companies have an oversized influence at COP,” the letter read. Indeed, the UAE last year granted access to at least 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists, a number higher than all but one of the national delegations present in Dubai. At the 2022 COP27 in Glasgow, at least 636 people linked to the fossil fuel industry were granted access.

An investigation by the Centre for Climate Reporting (CCR) and the BBC also revealed that the COP28 presidency was planning to use meetings with foreign countries to push for oil and gas deals. Despite Al Jaber repeatedly denying his involvement, leaked documents showed that fossil fuels were among the talking points in meetings between UAE energy companies and 15 nations ahead of the summit.

“Time is running out, and this international process is too important for the United States to stand by as yet another negotiation is captured by fossil fuel interests,” said the letter’s signatories, which include Senators Jeff Merkley, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren as well as Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jan Schakowsky.

The burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat is the single-largest source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the primary drivers of global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere and raising Earth’s surface temperature. Global fossil fuel consumption has more than doubled in the last 50 years, as countries around the world aim to improve their standards of living and economic output. In 2023, all three of the most potent GHGs – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide – reached record highs.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has urged countries to halt new gas and oil field projects, arguing that this is the only way to keep the 1.5C-compatible net-zero emissions scenario alive.

Despite calls, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev last month said his country will increase its gas production and continue exporting its gas supplies to the EU “for many more years,” as the bloc seeks to break reliance on Russian gas. In 2023, Azerbaijan exported nearly half of its gas supplies to the EU, around 12 billion cubic meter. In December, the country said it was on track to nearly double that amount by 2027. 

“… [W]e largely are investing in increasing our gas production because Europe needs more gas from new sources,” Aliyev said. According to the IEA, oil and gas account for about 90% of its exports’ revenue and 60% of the government’s budget.

Lawmakers also warned of Azerbaijan’s “deeply troubling” human rights record and suppression of freedom of expression. Despite some progress, challenges and gender disparities also persist, with gender roles, cultural norms, and societal expectations continuing to influence the position of women in Azerbaijani society.

Shortly after its appointment, Azerbaijan appointed an all-men organising committee for November’s summit, a move that was later ratified amid mounting pressure and calls for diversity and inclusion.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons

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Speaking at a conference in Germany, Azerbaijan President Aliyev confirmed the country’s plans to increase fossil fuel production in the coming years to meet demand from the European Union and other importing countries.

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Azerbaijan, host of this year’s UN COP29 climate summit, will continue to invest in gas production in order to meet European Union demand for energy in what its president called a “sign of responsibility.”

The remarks were part of Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s opening speech on the second day of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, a yearly international conference co-hosted by the German Foreign Office and the current COP presidency that brings together selected countries to prepare for the UN summit.

Citing an agreement between Azerbaijan and the European Commission, Aliyev said his country will increase its gas production and continue exporting its gas supplies to the EU “for many more years,” as the bloc seeks to break reliance on Russian gas. In 2023, Azerbaijan exported nearly half of its gas supplies to the EU, around 12 billion cubic meter. In December, the country said it was on track to nearly double that amount by 2027. 

“… [W]e largely are investing in increasing our gas production because Europe needs more gas from new sources,” Aliyev said.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil and gas account for about 90% of its exports’ revenue and 60% of the government’s budget.

Addressing delegations from almost 40 states, Aliyev said his country is ready to take up responsibility for leading the year’s most important climate talks, set to take place in November in the capital Baku, adding that countries rich in oil and gas like his “should be in the front row of those who address the issues of climate change.”

The appointment of Azerbaijan, a highly fossil fuel-dependent state and the oldest oil-producing region in the world, reignited debates over the role of fossil fuels in the UN summit as it marked the third petrostate in a row to host the talks after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year and Egypt in 2022. Similar to last year’s talks, which were led by the head of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) Sultan Al-Jaber, the COP29 president-designate, ecology minister Mukhtar Babayev, worked at state-owned oil and gas company Socar for more than two decades.

In his speech, Aliyev criticized the media for centering their appointment’s coverage around the country’s reliance on fossil fuels, saying Azerbaijan will use the climate talks to “defend its right … to continue investments and production in fossil fuels.”

“Having oil and gas deposits is not our fault. It’s a gift of God,” he said. “We must be judged not by that but on how we use this resource for the development of the country, for reduction of poverty, unemployment and what is our target with respect to [the] green agenda.”

Azerbaijan’s climate targets, which include a 35% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, increasing to 40% by 2050, fall short of the net zero level the scientific community says is needed to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. 

You might also like: Achieving Net Zero: Where Are We Today?

While the country is working on expanding its solar and wind capacity, which Aliyev said is expected to generate 2,000MW of electricity by 2027 and 5,000MW by 2030, its pledge to increase gas production contradicts the international community’s pledge to “transition away” from fossil fuels made at last year’s COP28 in Dubai.

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The decision comes two weeks after Azerbaijan – which is set to host the UN COP29 climate summit later this year – had announced the appointment of an all-men organizational committee.

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Azerbaijan has backtracked following a backlash over the appointment of an all-men committee tasked with organizing the upcoming UN climate summit, COP29, which is set to take place in the capital Baku in November.

On Friday, Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev announced the addition of 12 women to the 28-member committee – most of whom are government officials and members of parliament, bringing the total number to 40. On the same day, some 75 women leaders from business and academia issued a letter to Aliyev, urging him to backtrack and ensure “the best minds come together to advance solutions” at the upcoming summit.

“The absence or underrepresentation of women in the top team organising COP29 can only serve to diminish the progress we need from these climate talks,” the letter read.

Among the signatories were members of SHE Changes Climate, a global movement committed to ensuring women’s representation at international negotiations that last week slammed Azerbaijan’s decision as “regressive,” saying that “climate change affects the whole world, not half of it.”

Historically, women have always been underrepresented at the UN climate summit, with only five women serving as presidents in 29 years of COPs.

Azerbaijan is already under pressure for its heavy reliance on fossil fuels and the connections of Mukhtar Babayev, the country’s ecology minister and COP29 president-designate, with state-owned oil and gas company Socar, where he worked for more than two decades. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil and gas account for about 90% of its exports’ revenue and 60% of the government’s budget.

Socar attended the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, last week, where business leaders from around the world meet once a year to debate the most pressing global problems and seek solutions to these challenges. According to a post on social media X (formerly Twitter), the company’s president Rovshan Najaf met with US Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Rick Duke to discuss a “potential collaboration on decarbonization.”

Featured image: World Economic Forum/Flickr

You might also like: 10 Women Leading the Fight Against Climate Change

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The 28-member COP29 committee is tasked with preparing and implementing an Action Plan related to the organization and conduct of the summit.

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The organising committee for November’s 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) announced Saturday by Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev comprises 28 men and no women.

Azerbaijan – a highly fossil fuel-dependent state and the oldest oil-producing region in the world – was picked as the conference’s host country last month, becoming the third petrostate in a row to host the critical UN-led climate talks after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year and Egypt in 2022. The country is set to boost its gas production by a third over the next decade, an analysis revealed last week.

The 28-member organizational committee – which figures government ministers and officials as well as the director of Azerbaijan’s state gas distribution network Azerigas – is tasked with preparing and implementing an Action Plan related to the organization and conduct of the summit, the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.

In a statement published on X (formerly Twitter), global movement SHE Changes Climate highlighted the “critical importance” of inclusion and diversity at COP29, calling the move a “regressive step in the journey towards gender parity in climate.”

“We … ask for equal representation in the governance of this year’s climate talks, because climate change affects the whole world, not half of it,” the statement read.

Historically, women have always been underrepresented at the UN climate summit, with only five women serving as presidents in 29 years of COPs.

The news came days after Azerbaijan’s ecology minister Mukhtar Babayev was announced as the president-designate of the upcoming summit. Before his appointment as minister of ecology and natural resources in 2018, Babayev, a member of the ruling right-wing New Azerbaijan Party, worked at the state-owned oil and gas company Socar for more than two decades, during which he also briefly served as the company’s vice-president for ecology.

Babayev’s links to Socar reignited debates over the role of fossil fuels in the UN’s yearly climate summits. Last year’s summit, COP28, was led by Sultan Al-Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), a state-owned company that pumps almost all the crude oil in the UAE and produces about 3.2 million barrels a day.

“To share seats with the Big Polluters in climate change conversations is to dine with the devil,” said Ogunlade Olamide Martins, Program Manager at the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA). “This unholy matrimony will only endorse “conflict of interest” and further facilitate the silence of honest agitation. COP’s conclusions must be independent of industries’ parasitic influences and must only address the concerns of the vulnerable masses.”

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons.

You might also like: Did COP28 Succeed or Fail?

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Mukhtar Babayev’s appointment to preside over COP29 this November reignited debates over the role of fossil fuels in the UN’s yearly climate summits. 

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Azerbaijan’s ecology minister Mukhtar Babayev will lead the United Nations COP29 climate talks to be held in Baku in November.

Before his appointment as minister of ecology and natural resources in 2018, Babayev, a member of the ruling right-wing New Azerbaijan Party, worked at the state-owned oil and gas company Socar for more than two decades, during which he also briefly served as the company’s vice-president for ecology.

The decision was announced last week in a post on the COP28 United Arab Emirates Presidency’s X (formerly Twitter) account. “We look forward to working alongside the COP29 and COP30 Presidencies, and the UNFCCC to build on the transformative and historic success of COP28 and keep 1.5°C within reach,” the post read.

Babayev’s appointment as COP29 president reignited debates over the role of fossil fuels in the UN’s yearly climate summits, better known as Conference of the Parties (COPs). Azerbaijan is the third petrostate in a row to host the talks after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year and Egypt in 2022. 

It is also not the first time that a COP president has ties with the fossil fuel industry. The highly-controversial COP28 summit in Dubai last November was led by Sultan Al-Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), a state-owned company that pumps almost all the crude oil in the UAE and produces about 3.2 million barrels a day.

Al Jaber repeatedly came under fire both in the run-up to and during the summit.

Besides repeatedly emphasised the need to phase out fossil fuel emissions, rather than production, by focussing on the development of new emission reduction technologies, he also faced huge backlash for openly denying climate science during an exchange with former Irish president Mary Robinson at a live online event in late November.

The appointment of Azerbaijan – a highly fossil fuel-dependent state and the oldest oil-producing region in the world – as the COP29 host nation came last December, following days of delicate negotiations. 

Under UN rules, it was eastern Europe’s turn to take over the COP presidency, though an unanimous vote was required. Following Russia’s veto on all EU countries, delegates were left with just a few options, though not all cities on the list had the money and infrastructure needed to host a conference that every year sees tens of thousands of participants. While Azerbaijan and Armenia were initially vetoing each other, the latter eventually retracted its bid and backed Azerbaijan.

Hosting crucial climate talks in a petrostate is concerning environmentalists about the actual purpose of the summit.

An investigation by the Centre for Climate Reporting (CCR) and the BBC revealed that the COP28 presidency was planning to use meetings with foreign countries to push for oil and gas deals. Despite Al Jaber repeatedly denying his involvement, leaked documents show that fossil fuels were among the talking points in meetings between UAE energy companies and 15 nations ahead of the summit. This is further reinforced by the fact that the UAE granted access to at least 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists and a number higher than all but one of the national delegations present in Dubai. Meat and livestock lobbyists and representatives from other planet-trashing industries have also left a mark on last year’s summit.

“To share seats with the Big Polluters in climate change conversations is to dine with the devil,” said Ogunlade Olamide Martins, Program Manager at the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA). “This unholy matrimony will only endorse “conflict of interest” and further facilitate the silence of honest agitation. COP’s conclusions must be independent of industries’ parasitic influences and must only address the concerns of the vulnerable masses.”

Featured image: IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis

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