The first week of the 29th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP29) on climate change could be described as “hectic” in the tedious normalcy of a climate summit. The first reason would be the date of its celebration: just weeks after a DANA devastated the Valencian Community and that the denialist “red tide” of Donald Trump triumphed in the American presidential elections.
The second reason is linked to Argentina’s hasty and somewhat unexpected decision to withdraw from COP negotiations held in Azerbaijan. Javier Milei ordered his delegates to leave their posts on November 13, when they were already in Baku and had started negotiations with other countries.
The country’s Undersecretary of State for the Environment, Ana Lamas, confirmed this to Tutor in the afternoon, while rumors of this decision had been circulating all day. “It’s true. We have instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to no longer participate. “That’s all I can tell you,” he said.
Now we have to wait see if Argentina decides to leave the Paris Agreement or not, as the United States is assumed to do when Trump takes office next January. This decision also sowed doubt and concern among many delegates.
The third reason for the potholes of this COP would be the skepticism generated over the last seven days around this climate summit. Azerbaijan, a petrostate whose president affirms that “fossil fuels are a gift from the gods”, made a “Red carpet” to put pressure on groups representing the energy sector dirty and large companies in this industry.
But, in addition, The number of lobbyists far exceeds the number of delegates for each country. An analysis of Kick Big Polluters Out published last Friday, November 15 in Baku would have been collected at least 1,773 fossil fuel lobbyists. This number would be higher than that of delegates from the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change combined.
Thus, the report highlights the “the great influence that the fossil industry continues to have in these negotiations”. The only delegations which have more people than the lobbies These would be those sent by the organizer of this summit, Azerbaijan (2,229), host of COP30, Brazil (1,914), and Turkey (1,862).
The fossil red carpet
Such Tutor as Reuters they have alerted at the end of the week of the “fossil” pressure that large companies and lobbies They practiced – and still practice – in Baku. According to British media, for example, the heads of oil companies who have participated in the summit so far had been “invited” by the Azerbaijani government.
Local authorities, in additionthey would have been received “with all honors”. Among these the bosses would be Amin Nasser, boss of Saudi Aramco, who would be present with nine other people from his company. Of course, the ultimate “VIP treatment” would have been reserved for representatives of another coal and gas giant – which is diversifying into renewable energies – from Saudi Arabia: ACWA, its CEO, Marco Arcelli, and his team of 24 people.
The CEOs of BP and Exxonmobil, Murray Auchinclossi and Darren Woods, as well as their teams of seven and three people, would also have benefited from privileged treatment at this COP29.
Progress, yes or no?
The climate summit moved forward all week without major agreements, beyond the one reached at the last minute on the first day: introduce carbon credits and develop article 6 of the Paris Agreement on the agenda.
Beyond that, little has been accomplished. Funding remains stagnant. Emissions remain stagnant.
What about human rights?
Leaving aside the idylls between the summit and the lobbyists, the misadventures of the United States and Argentina or the frustration of small island states, This COP29 is taking place in the shadow of human rights.
According to what he said, Friday the 15th, the Climate Action Network, a group of nearly 2,000 climate groups, in BBCthe Azerbaijani government takes advantage of the climate summit to “crack down on environmental activists and other political opponents. » Other human rights groups also say the same thing.
For this reason, the Climate Action Network indicated that “Protecting civil society is crucial if countries are to see progress in the fight against climate change“. Of course, the Azerbaijani government completely denies the NGO accusations.
However, Natalia Nozadze, from Amnesty International, assures that “since Azerbaijan was announced as the host country of COP29 in November last year, it is more difficult to form a political opposition.” And he adds: “We have seen a dramatic increase in arrests and repression of all issues that the government may perceive as critical or contrary to its political agenda.
