COP29 will be held from November 11 to 22 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. A key topic of the talks will be how rich industrialized countries, such as those in the European Union, can financially help countries in the Global South with climate protection and climate adaptation measures.
Not less than 100 billion US dollars per year in the fight against climate change. According to experts, even more are needed now – instead of billions we are talking about quadrillion.
Some European countries, including Austria, have signaled early on that they are ready to do their part, but the deadline is to broaden the base of wealthy nations that must contribute to climate finance.
But even in early negotiations for the COP, the international community has yet to agree on a post-2025 climate finance target. EU countries also refrained from providing concrete figures.
The controversial role of nuclear energy
Additionally, at this year’s COP, each country has been invited to submit updated climate protection targets (NDCs). Within the EU, the role of nuclear power is particularly controversial in this regard. While countries like France rely on nuclear power to meet their climate goals, Austria and Germany want to promote more renewables.
Climate minister Leonor Küssler (Greens) told ORF on Monday: “We need to focus on forms of energy that actually contribute. Not on those who promise to do anything.” France’s climate minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher saw it differently: if you want to achieve climate neutrality, “you have to use all the levers,” including nuclear power, to phase out coal-fired power as a priority.
France seems to have achieved this too: an EU communication after the meeting spoke of the acceleration of “zero-emission and low-emission technologies”. People close to the French environment minister said the latter “implicitly” refers to nuclear power. The communication said the EU would work to meet the 1.5 degree target to limit global warming and that climate finance should include a wider group of contributors.
Oil and Gas “God’s Gift” to Azerbaijan
Meanwhile, COP host country Azerbaijan is far from phasing out fossil fuels. Autocratic ruler Ilham Aliyev describes oil and gas as a “gift from God”.
The “Financial Times” (“FT”) wrote on Monday: While the country praised its own progress in expanding renewable energies, it said it would continue to increase its oil and gas production to supply the EU, for which Azerbaijan is a responsible alternative supplier to Russia.
The COP website states that it is a great honor to be selected as a host country. “We see this as a sign of the international community’s respect for Azerbaijan, especially for what we are doing in the field of green energy.”
Allegation of greenwashing
The “FT” said it is important that countries in the global south – especially fossil fuel producers – are seen as part of the solution to the fight against the climate crisis. As a result, the task of steering the climate conference will also be undertaken.
Green washing
When companies or, as in this case, states position themselves as sustainable and environmentally friendly for PR purposes, this is called greenwashing. It ranges from empty promises to deliberate deception.
But after the UAE hosted the last COP, Azerbaijan now hopes to greenlight its reputation by hosting the event, according to “FT”.
In this regard, there is an apprehension among participants, politicians and activists as Azerbaijan makes progress on the roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels agreed at COP28.
Questionable human rights record
Also: not only is the COP being held for the second time in a petrostate, but for the third time in a host country with a questionable human rights record. A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the government’s “brutal measures against critics and opponents”.
The government’s tactics included primarily politically motivated arrests and prosecutions. These include “fanciful accusations and arbitrary enforcement of highly restrictive laws regulating non-governmental organizations (NGOs).” This means that there are few independent groups and critical media left in the country. All these have become more severe in the last two years, but especially in the run-up to COP.
“Allowing countries like Azerbaijan to host global events could, in theory, create a spotlight that would prompt autocrats to behave better.” But Aliyev, the FT wrote, was unimpressed.
