COP29 Host Declares Oil and Gas a ‘Gift of God’

The leader of the COP29 host nation informed the UN climate conference that oil and gas are a “gift of God”. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev criticized “Western fake news” regarding the country’s emissions and stated that nations “should not be blamed” for possessing fossil fuel reserves. Azerbaijan intends to increase its gas production by up to one-third over the next decade. Shortly thereafter, UN chief António Guterres told the conference that intensifying the use of fossil fuels was “absurd”. He affirmed that the “clean energy revolution” had begun and no government could halt it. Separately, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged further reductions in emissions, announcing that the UK would now target an 81% decrease by 2035. The UK urged other countries to match this new target. Sir Keir told the conference, “Make no mistake, the race is on for the clean energy jobs of the future, the economy of tomorrow, and I don’t want to be in the middle of the pack – I want to get ahead of the game.” Some observers had expressed apprehension about the world’s largest climate conference being held in Azerbaijan. The country’s minister for ecology and natural resources, a former oil executive who spent 26 years at Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil and gas company Socar, serves as the conference’s chairman. Concerns also exist that Azerbaijani officials are using COP29 to boost investment in the nation’s national oil and gas company. However, addressing the conference on its second day, President Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan had been subjected to “slander and blackmail” prior to COP29. He described the situation as if “Western fake news media”, charities, and politicians were “competing in spreading disinformation… about our country”. Aliyev noted that the country’s share in global gas emissions was “only 0.1%”. “Oil, gas, wind, sun, gold, silver, copper, all… are natural resources and countries should not be blamed for having them, and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market, because the market needs them.” Oil and gas are a primary contributor to climate change because they release planet-warming greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, when burned for energy. The US is also under scrutiny at the conference, following the election victory of Donald Trump, a known climate skeptic. On Monday, US President Joe Biden’s envoy John Podesta challenged president-elect Trump’s view that climate change was a hoax and affirmed that the US team would continue to work on the deal passed at COP28 in 2023. He added that Washington was also engaged in an agreement finalized last year in Dubai to triple renewable power by 2030. Addressing the conference in Baku on Tuesday, UN Secretary General Guterres criticized “doubling down on fossil fuels.” He stated, “The sound you hear is the ticking clock.” He continued, “We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and time is not on our side.” He characterized 2024 as a “masterclass in climate destruction,” with disasters being “supercharged by human-made climate change.” The UN’s World Meteorological Organization had previously indicated that 2024 is on track to be the world’s warmest year on record. Guterres stated that “a new finance goal” was required, with the wealthiest countries contributing the most. He explained, “They are the largest emitters, with the greatest capacities and responsibilities.” He emphasized, “Developing countries must not leave Baku empty-handed.” The Azerbaijani president’s remarks are not anticipated to disrupt the behind-the-scenes discussions, which largely center on securing more funding for poorer countries to aid in implementing their climate plans. Developing nations are urging richer countries to collectively agree on a fund that could amount to $1 trillion, utilizing both public and private money. Leaders of most of the world’s biggest polluters were not present in Baku, including Biden, France’s leader Emmanuel Macron, and India’s Narendra Modi. Roger Baro, the environment minister for Burkina Faso, a central African country among the poorest globally, informed the BBC that additional funding was essential. He stated it would help his nation address the current impacts of climate change, as the country is experiencing widespread drought, flash floods, and disease outbreaks. These disasters occurred in the Sahel region, which recorded temperatures of 45C this year during a heatwave that scientists said would have been impossible to reach without climate change. Among other world leaders to address the conference on Tuesday was Spain’s prime minister, who called for “drastic measures” after floods killed more than 200 people in the country. Experts say that climate change contributed to the heavy rainfall that caused the floods. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared, “We need to undergo decarbonisation, adapt our towns and infrastructure.” COP29 is scheduled to last until 22 November, but concerns are already present that the challenging issues on the agenda could make a final agreement very difficult.