In a surprising move, Azerbaijan’s Mukhtar Babayev, a former oil industry executive, has been named as the president-designate of the COP29 talks, slated to be held in Baku in November. This decision comes on the heels of Sultan al-Jaber’s successful stewardship of COP28 in Dubai. However, concerns have been raised about the growing influence of the oil industry in climate negotiations, leading to calls for greater intervention from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). While COP29 is expected to prioritize discussions on the quantified goal of finance, the choice of Babayev and concerns about Azerbaijan’s commitment to the climate crisis have sparked debates within the climate community.
Mukhtar Babayev’s appointment as president-designate of COP29 has raised eyebrows among climate campaigners and activists. Babayev, currently the minister for ecology and natural resources in the Azerbaijan government, has a long history in the country’s oil and gas sector. Having spent 26 years at Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil and gas company Socar, Babayev’s ties to the oil industry have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. These concerns are compounded by the lack of information about the priorities and commitments of the Azerbaijan government in dealing with climate change.
The appointment of yet another oil executive to lead global climate negotiations has sparked discussions about the influence of fossil fuel firms in shaping climate policies. Alice Harrison from Global Witness has expressed her dismay, stating that having a former oil executive in charge of tackling the crisis created by fossil fuel companies raises questions about the sincerity of the talks. She further argues for the removal of big polluters from climate negotiations to ensure transparent and meaningful discussions.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who has been ruling the country since 2003, has gained criticism for his questionable democratic practices. Observers deemed the 2018 election that secured his current term as falling short of democratic standards. Critics argue that Azerbaijan’s hosting of international events like the Eurovision Song Contest and the Baku European Games is an attempt to enhance the country’s international profile and divert attention from its human rights record and questionable commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
With COP29 expected to be a lower-profile event, the focus is likely to shift towards agreeing on a new, longer-term quantified goal on finance. This objective is crucial as it will determine the financial support provided by developed countries to help developing nations transition to low-carbon economies. However, achieving consensus on financial commitments is likely to be challenging, as finance remains a contentious issue in climate negotiations. The role of Babayev in navigating these discussions remains uncertain given his relatively unknown profile among climate diplomats.
As the COP29 talks approach, the growing influence of the oil industry and concerns about the commitment of countries like Azerbaijan to tackling the climate crisis need to be addressed. Greater transparency, accountability, and participation of diverse stakeholders are essential to ensure that climate negotiations are held in good faith and prioritize the interests of the world’s most vulnerable populations. The UNFCCC must play a more prominent role in intervening and creating stronger safeguards against the undue influence of big polluters. Only then can we pave the way for meaningful and effective global climate action.
