Azerbaijan, a petrostate ranked as one of the world’s least free countries, is set to host COP 29. Ruby Silk considers the implications for climate diplomacy.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a critical platform for countries to negotiate strategies to combat climate change. Since the first COP in 1994, these gatherings have grown in scale and importance. However, the selection of host countries has often sparked controversy, particularly when nations with poor human rights records and significant fossil fuel interests take on the role. The upcoming COP 29, set to be held in Azerbaijan, is a prime example of this dilemma.
The Controversy of Hosting COP 29 in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, a petrostate ranked as one of the world’s least free countries, is set to host COP 29, raising serious concerns. As an oil-dependent nation, Azerbaijan’s commitment to phasing out fossil fuels is questionable, casting doubt on its suitability to lead a global climate conference. This year’s host follows hot on the heels of two other controversial hosts—Egypt (COP 27) and the United Arab Emirates (COP 28)—both of which have also faced criticism for their human rights records and fossil fuel dependencies.
In the case of Azerbaijan, the stakes are particularly high. The government’s agenda for COP 29 includes a focus on preventing climate-fueled conflicts and promoting peace, calling on nations to observe a “Cop truce” for the conference’s two-week duration. While this is a crucial approach in times of global discord, it also puts into sharp relief Azerbaijan’s own role in regional tensions and its suppression of dissenting voices.
Host as petrostate
Azerbaijan is not the first fossil-fuel-dependent state to host a COP. In 2012, Qatar, another oil-rich nation, hosted COP 18, while coal-reliant Poland has also hosted the summit multiple times. Hosting a COP in a petrostate could, in theory, be transformative; often when a country hosts a COP, climate change laws are approved, the private sector comes forward with pledges, and policies to address climate change are promoted at high political levels. However, past experiences suggest these events often serve more as public relations exercises than catalysts for real change. For instance, in the lead-up to COP28, the BBC reported that president-designate Sultan al Jaber planned to use the meeting to promote national oil and gas deals. Azerbaijan’s reliance on fossil fuels and its silencing of climate activists and journalists gives little reason for hope in this context.
The Risks of Legitimising Repression
Moreover, hosting COP 29 in Azerbaijan raises serious ethical concerns. The country has been widely criticised for its lack of an independent judiciary and repression of civil society. In the lead-up to COP 29, reports have surfaced of increasing crackdowns on journalists and activists, with Human Rights Watch documenting numerous arrests and detentions.
The irony of Azerbaijan hosting a global climate conference while stifling climate justice advocates is glaring. Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, a prominent critic of Azerbaijan’s fossil fuel industry was brutally attacked and arbitrarily detained in July of 2023 and remains in prison on highly dubious charges. Similarly, Anar Mammadli, a prominent human rights defender and climate advocate, was arrested on 29 April 2024 by the Azerbaijani authorities on similarly bogus grounds. These are only two examples among many in a country where freedom of expression is severely restricted.
Hosting COP 29 in Azerbaijan could serve to legitimise the government’s repressive actions, both domestically and internationally. By giving Azerbaijan a platform to lead global climate discussions, the international community may inadvertently endorse its tactics and undermine the credibility of the COP process. Environmentalists have voiced concerns that Azerbaijan may use the COP as a tool for greenwashing—promoting an image of climate leadership while continuing to exploit fossil fuels and quash dissent.
Should We Lose Faith in COP?
The decision to hold COP 29 in Azerbaijan has led some to question the value of the COP process itself. Is it becoming a stage for countries with poor records on human rights and climate action to greenwash their image? While these concerns are valid, COP remains one of the few global forums where leaders can negotiate climate action. The challenge lies in ensuring these negotiations lead to meaningful outcomes and that host countries are held accountable for their commitments, both to climate action and human rights.
As COP 29 approaches, the global community must stay vigilant. The stakes are too high to allow the COP process to be co-opted by those prioritising fossil fuel profits and political power over the urgent need to address the climate crisis and uphold people’s right to an inhabitable planet.
