GLOBAL: ALARMING FOOTAGE REINFORCES DANGERS OF HOSTING COP29 IN A COUNTRY WITH CLOSE LINKS TO FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES

Responding to a Global Witness investigation that appears to show the chief executive of Azerbaijan’s COP29 team, Elnur Soltanov, using his role to arrange a meeting to discuss potential fossil fuel deals, Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International’s Programme Director for Climate Justice said:

“It comes as no surprise that a senior official from Azerbaijan’s COP29 team is using the opportunity to broker fossil fuel deals. Fossil fuels make up about half of Azerbaijan’s economy and the vast majority of its export revenues, with its state-owned oil and gas company a major source of income for President Ilham Aliyev’s government. 

“However, this alarming footage once again reinforces the dangers of holding COP29 in a country that has close links to fossil fuel companies. Just as we saw with the UAE last year, the event’s hosts have an agenda that is at serious odds with climate justice.

Just as we saw with the UAE last year, the event’s hosts have an agenda that is at serious odds with climate justice.

Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International’s Programme Director for Climate Justice

“The international community has failed to rein in the deadly activities of the fossil fuel industry, which continues to pollute, burn, and ransack the planet in the face of mounting human suffering.

“As global warming continues to increase, with 2024 set to be the first year above 1.5 degrees, COP29 is a critical opportunity for world leaders to break with these past failures. Yet for that to happen, officials need to be onboard and commit to fully phasing out fossil fuels, rather than using the event as an opportunity to broker dirty underhand deals, or to protect their domestic fossil fuel industry.

“Going forward, Amnesty International is calling for a robust conflict of interest policy to prevent fossil fuel lobbyists undermining the aims of global climate treaties – and it needs to start now.”