In an embarrassing slap-down just weeks before they are due to stage COP 29, the Summit’s Azerbaijani hosts have had their own climate plans lambasted as being ‘critically insufficient’, according to a report in the Financial Times.
At the same time, the EU was condemned for stepping up its gas imports from Azerbaijan – at a time when the bloc should have been encouraging the country to transition towards a low-carbon economy.
The news broke after Azerbaijan COP29 president-designate, Mukhtar Babayev, laid out his agenda to the Global Renewables Summit at New York’s Plaza Hotel – an important side event ahead of the UN General Assembly.
Addressing an audience which included European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Kenyan leader William Ruto, Babayev said the plans towards energy transition involved a target of increasing energy storage capacity by a factor of six, hitting 1,500 gigawatts by 2030. This would be “a vital step for sustainable development,” he announced.
But the FT reported that the independent scientific group, Climate Action Tracker (CAT), who assess national climate plans, had criticised Azerbaijan for being amongst a minority of countries that, last year, had “weakened” their climate targets – known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
Mounting pressure on COP29 hosts
Pressure would now mount on the Azerbaijanis to upgrade their national plan to limit global warming before the Summit-proper gets underway in Baku on 11th November, the FT wrote.
According to the CAT report, Azerbaijan had “doubled down on oil and gas production” at the very point when the world was in agreement to move away from fossil fuels.
The EU had also been placed under the spotlight from the CAT research group, the FT noted, after signing gas agreements with Azerbaijan following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This had prompted the COP29 host to scale-up its gas production.
The FT said there had been disquiet at Azerbaijan’s appointment, first announced at the closing of the Dubai COP28 summit in Dubai. The anointment of the oil and gas-rich nation had resulted from a rotating vote, which gave the eastern European group of countries the say over the next summit location.
As well as question marks over human rights, campaigners were concerned that the world’s most important climate negotiations would be overseen by “yet another” nation, heavily dependent on selling oil and gas.
No zero emissions commitment
CAT said Azerbaijan had not only refused to commit to a net zero emissions agenda, but they had actually expected to increase levels by around 20 per cent leading up to 2030, due to a proposed 30 per cent increase in gas extraction. Oil rich countries had resisted the key pledge within the UN consensus agreement from COP28, to transition away from the use of fossil fuels in the fight against global warming, the research group further observed.
“Azerbaijan does not include a transition away from fossil fuels in its NDC or in the COP29 agenda,” said Ana Missirliu from CAT partner organisation NewClimate Institute. “This is not the kind of leadership we need in this crucial time of climate action as the world is increasingly being hit by catastrophic, climate-fuelled weather events.”
Meanwhile, the FT article said that “improved national plans” covering the 2025-2035 period were due to be submitted by the 200 or so countries who had signed up to the UN Paris agreement. Furthermore, an enhanced Azerbaijan plan was anticipated to be in place by the time COP29 opens.
The researchers called on Azerbaijan to “substantially upgrade” its policies and targets towards cutting emissions by 2030. They also advised the country to adopt a net zero goal and make plans to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
EU must reduce gas demand from Azerbaijan
CAT noted that the Baku government had recently pushed for the use of renewables locally – whilst simultaneously increasing its gas production for export to Europe.
Instead of importing fuels from Azerbaijan and hampering their efforts to develop a low-carbon economy, the EU should reduce its own gas demand, the report added.
The FT said the COP29 hosts had responded constructively to the CAT report. The country was “actively working on its updated NDC in line with the 1.5C goal” of the Paris Agreement on limiting the increase in the global average temperature. It would also integrate “ambitious targets.”
In addition, Azerbaijan was focussed on a long-term low emissions development strategy. This would provide stakeholders “with a clear pathway for implementing effective climate action.”
COP29 host’s own climate plans are ‘critically insufficient’, says expert group (ft.com)
