At the climate summit COP29, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, proclaimed that oil and gas are 'gifts from God' and that the countries that possess them should not be blamed for it. In contrast to this stance, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, emphasized the importance of securing new funding to fight climate change, especially for developing countries that depend on fossil resources.
Currently, industrialized countries provide around 100 billion dollars a year in the form of loans and aid to developing nations to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects. However, experts and vulnerable countries consider it necessary to increase this figure at least tenfold.
Despite criticisms from scientists and ecologists about the incompatibility of hydrocarbons with the fight against climate change, Aliyev mentioned that the European Union requested to double gas exports from Azerbaijan two years ago. On the other hand, leaders like Brazil's Minister of Environment and Barbados's Prime Minister advocated for imposing taxes on fossil fuel extraction and similar measures.
The Baku climate summit seeks to reach important agreements but is taking place without the presence of several G20 leaders, including Narendra Modi, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Additionally, Donald Trump's skeptical stance on climate change and his support for fossil fuels, as well as other oil-producing countries like Brazil, add complexity to the discussions.
Ultimately, COP29 focuses on the urgent need to reach an agreement and increase funding to combat climate change and its consequences, highlighting the importance of concrete actions to address this global challenge.
