The president of Azerbaijan, this year’s COP29 host, addressed the UN climate conference with a defense of fossil fuels, calling oil and gas a “gift of God” and pushing back against what he labeled “Western fake news” about Azerbaijan’s environmental impact.
President Ilham Aliyev argued that countries with fossil fuel reserves “should not be blamed” for developing these resources and announced plans to increase Azerbaijan’s gas production by up to a third over the next decade.
In contrast, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged delegates to move away from fossil fuels, calling any push to expand their use “absurd.” Also addressing COP29, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced an ambitious new climate target, pledging to reduce UK emissions by 81% by 2035.
In his remarks, Aliyev contended that Azerbaijan had been targeted by “slander and blackmail” in the lead-up to COP29. He accused Western media, charities, and politicians of spreading “disinformation… about our country,” and emphasized that Azerbaijan’s contribution to global gas emissions is “only 0.1%.”
Oil, gas, wind, sun, gold, silver, copper, all… are natural resources and countries should not be blamed for having them, and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market, because the market needs them, Aliyev said.
