George George Idowu
The president of Azerbaijan, the host country of COP29, Ilham Aliyev, has defended the country’s reliance on oil and gas, describing it as a “gift of god.”
He disclosed this during his address to the UN climate conference on Tuesday.
The president rebuked “Western fake news” about Azerbaijan’s emissions and argued that countries with fossil fuel reserves should not be faulted for utilising them.
He revealed that the country, Azerbaijan, has set out plans to increase its gas production by up to one-third over the next decade.
Reacting to President Aliyev remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the conference, calling the continued expansion of fossil fuel use “absurd.”
Guterres underscored that the “clean energy revolution” is irreversible and encourages global leaders to focus on sustainable energy solutions.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged an ambitious 81% reduction in emissions by 2035 and urged other nations to adopt similar targets.
Starmer emphasized UK’s commitment to leading in the “clean energy jobs of the future.”
COP29’s location in Azerbaijan has raised concerns among climate advocates, as the country’s conference chairman, Azerbaijan’s ecology minister, is a former oil executive with a longstanding career at the state oil company, SOCAR.
Some observers worry that Azerbaijani officials may leverage COP29 to attract more investment in their oil and gas sector.
However, President Aliyev criticized these perceptions as “slander and blackmail,” blaming international media and activists for spreading misinformation about Azerbaijan’s environmental record.
He highlighted that Azerbaijan’s contribution to global emissions is only 0.1%.
In parallel, attention is also on the United States, where the election of climate-skeptic Donald Trump has raised questions.
At the conference, U.S. envoy John Podesta reassured delegates that the current administration remains committed to the global climate agenda, including recent agreements to expand renewable energy.
Guterres warned that 2024 has been a “masterclass in climate destruction,” citing climate disasters worsened by human activity.
He called for wealthier countries to fund a “new finance goal” for developing nations, emphasizing the urgent need for financial support in the global south to help them mitigate and adapt to climate impacts.
Despite Azerbaijan’s defence of oil and gas, behind-the-scenes negotiations at COP29 are expected to focus heavily on financial commitments from richer nations.
Many developing countries are pushing for a new fund that could reach $1 trillion, aimed at helping them tackle climate challenges.
The leader of Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest countries, echoed the need for this financial support to address severe droughts, flash floods, and disease outbreaks aggravated by climate change.
With COP29 ongoing until November 22, negotiators face pressure to find common ground on climate finance and emissions targets, though the challenging issues on the agenda could hinder a final agreement.