1 773 fossil fuel lobbyists signed up for UN climate talks in petrostate Azerbaijan Report

New Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) Over 1,750 fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access to the UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, where countries are debating ways to raise trillions of dollars to help developing nations cope with the warming world, according to a new analysis by a global coalition of over 450 organisations.
    The burning of fossil fuels -- coal, oil, and gas -- is the largest contributor to climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions.
    A group of scientists, known as the "Global Carbon Project", warned earlier this week that emissions from fossil fuels could hit a record 37.4 billion tonnes in 2024, up 0.8 per cent from 2023 levels.
    According to the analysis by the "Kick Big Polluters Out" coalition, significantly more fossil fuel lobbyists have been granted access to COP29 than nearly every country delegation.
    The 1,773 fossil fuel lobbyists registered in Baku are outnumbered only by delegations sent by the host country Azerbaijan (2,229), COP30 host Brazil (1,914), and Türkiye (1,862).
    Another analysis released on Friday revealed that Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev failed to mention the "Paris Agreement" in any of his 10 climate-and energy-related statements or speeches since COP28 in Dubai, including one delivered at a
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change event, despite his country hosting the crucial UN climate talks.
    According to the analysis by the international environmental organisation 350.org, Aliyev defended or promoted fossil fuels in more than three-quarters of these speeches.
    On Tuesday, the Azerbaijan president described oil, gas, and other natural resources as a “gift of God” and a production and investment opportunity that must be defended.
    According to reports, just three days before the start of the talks, the chief executive of Azerbaijan's COP29 team, Elnur Soltanov, was secretly filmed purportedly agreeing to a fossil fuel deal. Soltanov also serves as Azerbaijan's deputy energy minister.
     This is the second consecutive year that the UN climate conference is being held in a petrostate. Last year, the talks were held in the UAE, where countries reached a landmark agreement to transition away from fossil fuels.
     One of the oldest oil-producing countries in the world, Azerbaijan is a significant oil and natural gas supplier in the Caspian Sea region, particularly for European markets.
    Oil and gas account for about half of the West Asian country's total economy and more than 90 per cent of its exports.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)