This week, it was introduced that Azeri Ecology Minister Mukhtar Babayev, who spent over 20 years at Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil and fuel firm SOCAR, has been appointed because the president of this yr’s UN local weather talks.
The choice means oil executives will lead consecutive UN local weather talks after Sultan Al-Jaber, boss of Abu Dhabi Nationwide Oil Firm (ADNOC), ran COP28.
Final yr at the very least 2456 fossil gas lobbyists have been granted entry to the COP28 summit in Dubai, signalling an unprecedented presence at essential local weather talks from representatives of a number of the world’s largest polluters, in accordance with evaluation from the Kick Huge Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition.
Azerbaijan is a petrostate which is determined by oil for its revenues. As International Witness reportednot too long ago, oil big BP and its venture companions have transferred $35 billion value of oil and fuel manufacturing to Azerbaijan’s authorities since 2020, the yr that struggle broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan launched a large-scale navy offensive within the territory in 2023, and has since been accused of ‘ethnic cleaning’.
Alice Harrison, Fossil Fuels Marketing campaign Chief at International Witness mentioned,
“COP28 was run by oil lobbyists, so it is no shock that the ultimate settlement dedicated the world to fossil fuels without end. There is a sense of déjà vu setting in – we now have a former oil government from an authoritarian petrostate answerable for the world’s response to the disaster that fossil gas companies created.”
“We once more name for the UNFCCC to urgently intervene and kick huge polluters out of local weather talks, to make sure the talks are held in good religion, and to take away these individuals who wish to make a revenue on the expense of the world’s most susceptible individuals”.
Alexander Kirk, Communications Advisor, Fossil Fuels
