COP29 chief executive filmed promoting fossil fuel deals

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🗞️ Driving the news: Secret footage reveals Elnur Soltanov, COP29’s chief executive and Azerbaijan’s deputy energy minister, discussing potential oil and gas deals with a fake investor
• Soltanov’s discussions focused on "investment opportunities" in Azerbaijan's state oil company, Socar, raising concerns about conflicts of interest at the upcoming UN climate summit in Baku

🔭 The context: COP conferences are meant to focus on reducing global fossil fuel use, not promoting new deals
• This is the second year in a row the BBC has reported host countries allegedly using COP roles to facilitate fossil fuel agreements, with similar reports last year from COP28 in the UAE

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: These revelations highlight concerns about conflicts of interest undermining climate goals, as transitioning away from fossil fuels is critical to limiting global warming to 1.5°C
• Hosting countries promoting fossil fuel deals during COP events could erode trust in the UN climate process and hinder global decarbonization

⏭️ What's next: As COP29 opens in Baku, the UN may face calls to enforce stricter guidelines on host countries to ensure impartiality
• The controversy could also impact future host selections and transparency standards within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

💬 One quote: Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief, called Soltanov’s actions "contrary and egregious," describing the promotion of fossil fuel deals as "a betrayal" of the COP process.

📈 One stat: Oil and gas make up over 90% of Azerbaijan’s exports, highlighting the economic significance of fossil fuels in the host nation.

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