COP29 president avoids answering how many fossil fuel deals his country has done while hosting UN climate talks
We quizzed him on the deals as he appeared before press for the first time since the climate began
The president of COP29 avoided answering how many oil and gas deals Azerbaijan has done while leading the UN’s global climate summit on Monday. In his first appearance before the press since the conference began on November 11, the Irish Mirror asked Mukhtar Babayev about the number of fossil fuel deals they’ve done and if he thinks that’s good leadership when the aim of COP is to reduce fossil fuel use.
Last week, Global Witness revealed Azerbaijan’s state oil firm SOCAR, where Babayev worked for 25 years, had struck deals worth a potential $8 billion in the year up to Baku hosting COP29 with reports of even more deals during the climate talks.
Mr Babayev responded to our question, saying: “The main oil and gas producing countries already adopted the decarbonisation programmes and I think, not only countries, not only fossil fuel producing countries but also companies, they adopted their decarbonisation programmes.
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“The world is moving in the direction to increase the green energy transition programme.
“That’s why all of the world and petrostates and oil and gas countries, fossil fuel producing countries - it’s a good chance for these countries to demonstrate their leadership in this issue. To increase investment to the green energy, green transition projects.”
His comments came as the UN’s climate chief told countries to “cut the theatrics and get down to real business” as the second week of negotiations began at COP29 in Baku.
This year’s Conference Of the Parties on climate has been billed the finance COP with talks focusing on the new collective quantified goal (NCQC) to replace the $100 billion a year target agreed in 2009 as per the Paris Agreement.
According to economists, developing countries need at least $1.3 trillion a year to cope with the climate crisis and build out their energy grids with clean renewable power.
After a week of what UN Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell described as “tussling” over details of the NCQC, he urged negotiators to “wrap up less contentious issues as early as possible... so there is enough time for the major political decisions”.
“Success at COP29 and each country’s climate goals hinge on whether enough money will be delivered,” he added.
Stiell said the presidency, led by former Azerbaijan oil exec Mukhtar Babayes, has “laid out a clear approach to get us to the finish line”.
“Yes, there are headwinds, everyone knows that, but lamenting them won’t make them go away. Now is the time to focus on solutions.”
COP president, Mr Babayez, told the press “we have already proved what we can achieve” through adoption of the agenda, standards in relation to carbon markets (article 6.4) and non market approaches (article 6.8).
He admitted “people have told me they are concerned about the state of the negotiations”, adding “it’s time for them to move faster”.
“Politicians have the power to reach a fair and ambitious deal - they must deliver on this responsibility.”
The COP29 president also sent up a flare to the G20 meeting in Brazil.
He added: “Their leadership is essential to making progress on all pillars of the Paris Agreement, from finance to mitigation and adaptation.”
Charity ActionAid International says there are “indications” from the G20, which is being held in parallel with COP, that developed countries are obliged to pay climate finance.
Its global lead on climate justice, Teresa Anderson, added: “The indications ... seem to confirm the current framework under the UNFCCC, which is that developed countries are obliged to provide climate finance while developing countries can voluntarily provide climate finance.”
Ms Anderson fears “rich countries at COP29 are hoping to break up that framework and extend finance obligation onto developing countries” with talk of China which already makes “significant voluntary contributions” despite having much lower historic emissions.
She added: “Pressure to add developing countries to the list of contributors is not about raising more money for frontline countries.
“Rich countries are just trying to have an excuse to provide less finance. That’s not the way to address runaway climate breakdown, and is a distraction from the real issues at stake.”
We will be bringing all the latest updates from the COP29 climate summit in Baku with support from Global Ireland. You can follow our environment correspondent on the ground @ShaunaReports on X/ @shaunacorr.bsky.social.
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