The appointment of Azerbaijan’s Ecology Minister, Mukhtar Babayev, to preside over the upcoming UN climate change conference to be held in Baku from November 11 to 22, 2024, implies that, for the second year in a row, the global climate talks will be chaired by a man with ties to the oil industry.
Babayev “has been named president-designate for the 29th session of the conference of the parties” (or COP29) in Baku, senior ministry official, Rashad Allahverdiyev, disclosed on Friday, January 5.
Babayev, 56, was formerly an executive at Azerbaijan’s national oil company SOCAR. He will soon take on the role previously held by Sultan Al Jaber – the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and CEO of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company – who chaired last year’s COP28.
Babayev’s appointment, who worked at SOCAR for 16 years, has sparked concern from civil society leaders and climate activists.
“It’s concerning to be once again having the world’s climate negotiations coordinated by a petrostate that has a big interest in oil and gas production. But the COP in Dubai resulted in an outcome more positive than many expected so let’s hope the same happens in Baku.
“It’s good to see an environment minister as President of the COP. The main concern is his lack of experience at previous COPs. He’s an unknown quantity without a track record in UN diplomacy. Hopefully, he’s a fast learner and can get up to speed quickly. He’s got a huge job to do. The focus of this year’s summit is on climate finance so he needs to start working on getting rich countries to deliver serious, long-term finance that will tackle the climate crisis,” said Mohamed Adow, Executive Director of Power Shift Africa.
“There’s a sense of déjà vu setting in – we now have a former oil executive from an authoritarian petrostate in charge of the world’s response to the crisis that fossil fuel firms created,” Alice Harrison, Fossil Fuels Campaign Leader at Global Witness, said in a statement.
“Azerbaijan appointing another lifelong oil man to lead … pushes us closer to the abyss,” Collin Rees of Oil Change International stated.
However, Climate Action Network International (CAN) – the world’s largest environmental NGO network – said on Friday that it “welcomes the announcement of Mukhtar Babayev as COP29 president”, according to AFP.
CAN Executive Director Tasneem Essop said Babayev should “strengthen the outcome of COP28 on transitioning away from fossil fuels”.
“Delivery of finance for this transition in developing countries” should be “a big priority for COP29”, she added.
Speaking in a similar vein, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke of the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), opined that “events in Dubai have shown that the COP process is bigger than individuals and that competent people can deliver a good cop process regardless of their current or previous profession”.
He added: “Al Jaber delivered UAE Consensus text that mentions transitioning away from fossil fuels for the first time in a COP text.
“I believe what is more important is that Africa and the rest of vulnerable countries should prepare and negotiate hard and effectively ahead and during COP to translate the several equity commitments in COP texts into practical and meaningful support from rich countries.”
On his part, Augustine Njamnshi, Chair of Political and Technical Affairs of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), said: “The decision by Azerbaijan Government to name Mukhtar Babayev, former head of the nation’s oil company, SOCAR, as the COP29 President-Designate comes immediately after COP28 was presided at by another oil chief in the person of Sultan Al-Jaber.
“This is not however any surprise since the oil industry is now having a comfortable driver’s seat in climate change negotiations. We should however make a distinction between the present case and COP28 since Mukhtar is the current Minister of Environment of Azerbaijan. We therefore expect him to use his experience of the oil industry world and the environment protection world to make things happen positively in COP29.”
Sulaimon Arigbabu, Executive Secretary at HEDA Resource Centre, expressed mixed feelings about the development.
“My first reaction is to look at the performance of the President of COP28 and the things he achieved, and some might be tempted to say, perhaps it takes a thief to catch a thief. The COP28 president, though from the police industry, nonetheless was able to bring the fossil fuel exit to the table and even got a date for the same. Whether it is sincere or realistic is another kettle of fish.
“On the other hand, whereas one is not entirely surprised by the seeming growing involvement of the fossil fuel industry in the driver seat of the climate negotiations, this development is nonetheless perturbing and spells gloom for the efforts to save the planet by keeping global warming to below 1.5°C. The fossil fuel industry has never hidden their determination to protect their interest for as long as they possibly could.
“The Russia invasion of Ukraine has also exposed the vulnerability of Europe and, indeed, their entire world to any upset in global oil supply. Post Glasgow, many struggling those of Africa who have deposits of fossil fuel have mostly decided to explore this resource in order to raise the money they require to build infrastructure much needed to grow their economies. In the light of the foregoing going, one may not blame the countries appointing their oil Tzars as COP President, rather, the concern should be about the processes that is taking COP to fossil fuel economies back-to-back. This is problematic and should be discouraged.”
Team lead, GIFSEP, and Africa Regional Coordinator, Citizens Climate International, Michael David Terungwa, says he does not have confidence that oil states and oil COP presidents will do everything in their power to make sure 1.5C is within reach.
“The big question is, Will Azerbaijan, one of the top 10 most oil-dependent economies, embrace the legal reality of the required systems transformation and help lead the world to a more detailed and actionable vision of climate-resilient development? The obvious answer is no.
“I see this as a well calculated plan by OPEC to take over the COP process and deliberately slow down just transition and fossil fuels phase out. Remember that COP28 had the record number of fossil fuel lobbyists and oil deals were struck using the COP process at COP28. The COP should not be an OPEC meeting while non-OPEC countries and CSOs would become observers.
“We CSOs and those who truly care about the planet have to tell ourselves the hard truth and quickly come out with a strategy to halt this…. else it’s a game that will take us to COP100.
“I think there should be guidance and the president of an oil company shouldn’t be the president of the COP. It’s a clear conflict of interest. The UNFCCC needs to set guidelines based on conflict-of-interest etc on who should host COP and who becomes the COP president.”
Olumide Idowu of ICCDI Africa fears that the appointment could overshadow the need to shift away from fossil fuels.
His words: “The COP President-Designate must prioritise Paris Agreement goals and promote bold climate action. All participating countries, including Azerbaijan, must act to make COP29 and climate change and sustainable development recommendations successful.
“In conclusion, Mukhtar Babayev’s appointment as COP29 President-Designate may raise eyebrows, but it also offers an opportunity to bridge the oil business with climate action. The ultimate significance of this judgement will rely on how it is used to speed significant change and a sustainable, low-carbon future.”
Israel Orekha of Connected Advocacy likens the appointment as “another way to slow down concrete climate action”.
“The more oil blocks and oil chiefs are leading the climate investment talk the more the fossil fuels sponsors are protected to slow the time for a true phase out.”
Gloria Bulus, a Climate Reality Leader and head of Bridge-That-Gap Initiative, said: “It is sad and hard to believe that the Azerbaijan government’s decision was based on merit or competence but rather, it looks like it was influenced by political and economic interests, as well as a lack of commitment to the Paris Agreement and its goals.
“With this decision, we cannot trust that the leaders of the fossil fuel industry will act in the best interest of the planet and its people. One cannot expect them to facilitate a fair and ambitious agreement that will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy.
“It clearly shows that the voices and rights of the most vulnerable and marginalised communities that are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis will not be respected. This decision does not favour the resolution to transition away from fossil fuels. It presents a bad picture of the UN Climate Conference as an unserious forum for addressing the climate emergency, it presents it as a platform for greenwashing and lobbying by the fossil fuel industry.
“It also undermines the credibility and legitimacy of the process and erodes the trust and confidence of activists/advocates, civil society, indigenous peoples, youth, women, and others who are continuously demanding urgent climate action. The implications of this development mean we are likely to see a repeat of the disappointing outcomes of COP28 hosted by the oil-rich UAE.
“It means we are risking another missed opportunity to raise our collective ambition and align our actions with the 1.5°C limit. It means that we are jeopardising our chances of achieving the numerous climate change and sustainable development-related recommendations that will enable us to achieve climate justice and just recovery from the impacts of climate change.
“The Government of Azerbaijan will need to reconsider its decision and appoint a COP29 President-Designate who has no association with the fossil fuel industry, and who will be impartial, independent, and committed to climate justice. The government of Azerbaijan needs to be accountable and ensure that COP29 delivers on its mandate and expectations.”
By Michael Simire
