PREVIEW

COP29 Host Azerbaijan Defends Fossil Fuels as “Gift of God” Amid Global Push for Clean Energy. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, host of the COP29 climate summit, defended oil and gas as “gifts of God” and criticized “Western fake news” over the country’s emissions. Aliyev argued that countries should not be condemned for possessing fossil fuel resources, adding that Azerbaijan plans to increase gas production by a third in the next decade. UN Secretary-General António Guterres countered Aliyev’s statements, calling continued reliance on fossil fuels “absurd” and emphasizing the “clean energy revolution.” UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged further emissions cuts, aiming for an 81% reduction by 2035, and urged other countries to set similar targets. Critics voiced concerns about Azerbaijan hosting COP29, as the country’s ecology minister and conference chair was a former executive of state-owned oil giant Socar. Observers worry Azerbaijani officials may use COP29 as a platform to attract more investment in the country’s oil and gas sector. Aliyev accused Western media and politicians of spreading disinformation about Azerbaijan’s environmental policies, asserting that his country’s emissions represent only 0.1% of the global total. Labeling 2024 a “masterclass in climate destruction,” Guterres highlighted the urgency of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, as this year is on track to be the warmest on record. Developing countries called for substantial financial commitments, including a potential $1 trillion fund, to support their climate adaptation efforts. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for accelerated decarbonization after floods, exacerbated by climate change, claimed over 200 lives in Spain.
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