Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev opened the COP29 climate summit saying natural resources like oil and gas are “a gift from God”.
COP is held annually by the United Nations to discuss transitioning to renewable energy, with around 100 world leaders attending this week. Azerbaijan is the summit’s host this year.
“Every natural resource, whether it's oil, gas, wind, sun, gold, silver, copper, they are all natural resources. 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 yesterday.
Aliyev also disputed criticism of Azerbaijan as the summit’s host, which has focused on the country’s reliance on oil exports and its poor human rights record.
“Western fake news media, so-called independent NGOs, and some politicians seemed to be competing in spreading disinformation and false information about our country,” he said. “When they call us a petrostate now, today, this is not fair, and it only demonstrates a lack of political culture and knowledge.”
Oil and gas are more than 90% of Azerbaijan’s exports, according to the International Energy Agency. In 2022, Azerbaijan agreed to double its gas exports to the European Union by 2027.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company also signed A$8 billion worth of oil export deals with foreign companies this year.
Aliyev said in his COP29 speech that Azerbaijan planned to “build solar, wind, and hydro power stations of approximately six gigawatts” as well as 10 gigawatts of other renewable energy projects.
Mukhtar Babayev, the president of COP29 and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, wrote that “a new climate finance goal is the top priority of Azerbaijan’s COP presidency” this week. “To prevent the gravest human, ecological and economic toll, it is crucial to cut emissions before it’s too late,” he said.