Azerbaijani Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev was appointed as president of the UN COP29 climate talks to be held in Baku in November.
The appointment was announced by the COP28 United Arab Emirates (UAE) presidency in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Before taking office in 2018, Babayev spent 24 years at Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil and gas company Socar, his LinkedIn profile shows, during which time he also briefly served as the company’s vice president for ecology.
Photo: Reuters
The selection of Babayev continues a contentious trend of those with deep ties to the oil and gas industry helming UN climate talks. Last year’s summit in Dubai was presided over by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company head Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
An investigation by the BBC and the Centre for Climate Reporting revealed in November last year that the UAE planned to discuss possible natural gas and other commercial deals ahead of the summit.
Azerbaijan is also a large exporter of natural gas. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s foreign policy adviser Hikmet Hajiyev touted the country’s gas potential in a meeting with reporters last month.
Azerbaijan has an estimated 2.5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, the 2021 BP Statistical Review of World Energy showed, and it aims to double its gas exports to Europe by 2027.
Scientists expressed disappointment that individuals with ties to the oil industry would once again be able to exert influence on the climate negotiations.
“It is time to demand a thorough overhaul of the entire COP process and leadership structure,” University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said. “There is too much at stake to allow for the continuation of this pattern of corruption.”
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