Azerbaijan and COP29: A Showcase of Hypocrisy and Greenwashing
By Sankar Pal
The 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), held in Baku last year, was presented by Azerbaijan as a landmark event. Officials lauded it as evidence of the nation’s commitment to addressing global environmental challenges, while showcasing the country as a progressive leader in the transition to green energy. Yet beneath the polished rhetoric, the conference exposed the deep contradictions and systemic failings inherent in global climate negotiations. COP29, like its predecessors, underscored the limits of combating climate change within a framework dominated by corporate interests and economic growth.
A Contradictory Climate Agenda
Azerbaijan’s government spared no effort in portraying the event as a milestone in its environmental policy. The streets of Baku were adorned with slogans promoting renewable energy and sustainable development, and conference sessions highlighted ambitious goals for reducing carbon emissions. However, these public commitments stood in stark contrast to the country’s continued reliance on fossil fuels.
As one of the world’s leading oil and gas exporters, Azerbaijan remains deeply tied to hydrocarbons. State-owned energy giant SOCAR has played a central role in fueling both the national economy and significant environmental degradation in the Caspian region. Despite promises made during COP29, there is little evidence to suggest a meaningful shift away from these extractive industries, which continue to prioritize profit over sustainability.
The Role of Corporate Influence
The pervasive influence of corporate interests at COP29 was impossible to ignore. Representatives from multinational oil and gas companies, many of whom are key contributors to the climate crisis, played a prominent role in shaping the agenda. The event showcased technology-driven solutions, such as carbon capture and storage, as panaceas to the climate crisis, despite widespread criticism that such approaches merely delay necessary systemic change.
Lavish receptions hosted by major fossil fuel companies underscored the inherent contradictions of the conference. In Baku, the energy sector’s domination of both the economy and the climate dialogue highlighted a fundamental challenge: the inherent conflict between the profit-driven motives of corporations and the urgent need for comprehensive environmental action.
Suppressing Local Voices
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of COP29 was Azerbaijan’s treatment of dissenting voices. While the government sought to project an image of environmental leadership on the international stage, it continued to repress domestic environmental activists and independent journalists. Local organizations that have long campaigned against oil spills, deforestation, and other environmental issues were excluded from the conference.
Reports of intimidation and censorship cast a shadow over the proceedings. This juxtaposition of progressive rhetoric and authoritarian practices undermined Azerbaijan’s claims of climate leadership, exposing a deeply cynical approach to the global stage.
The Broader Context
The shortcomings of COP29 are not unique to Azerbaijan; they reflect systemic issues with the COP process itself. For decades, these conferences have failed to deliver the transformational change necessary to address the climate crisis. By operating within a framework that prioritizes economic growth and accommodates corporate influence, the COP process has produced little more than incremental progress and empty pledges.
Real solutions to climate change require addressing its root causes—namely, the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and the prioritization of profit over planetary health. Grassroots movements, often marginalized during these high-profile events, have consistently highlighted the need for systemic change rooted in justice and equity.
A Call for Genuine Action
COP29 in Baku was emblematic of the contradictions and challenges facing global climate policy. While Azerbaijan sought to enhance its international reputation, the event ultimately laid bare the inadequacies of a process that continues to prioritize appearances over substance.
As the world faces increasingly severe consequences of climate change, the need for genuine action—driven by the voices of those most affected—has never been more urgent. Moving beyond the spectacle of events like COP29 requires a collective commitment to systemic transformation, unshackled from the constraints of corporate and state interests.
The lessons of Baku must not be forgotten, for the stakes are far too high to allow the failures of the past to dictate the future.
