Inside the Petrostate hosting this year’s global climate negotiations

illuminum summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The New York Times or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Azerbaijan, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, will host COP29, the global climate summit
• The nation is under authoritarian rule and is a significant oil and gas exporter
Mukhtar Babayev, a midlevel bureaucrat, is unexpectedly leading the talks amid internal and external pressures

🔭 The context: Azerbaijan’s choice as host resulted from a UN selection process, with Russia vetoing other candidates
• The country’s economy is deeply tied to fossil fuels, and officials fear the impact of a global energy transition
• The summit will highlight the stark realities of climate change and the trade-offs involved in combating it

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Hosting COP29 puts Azerbaijan at the center of critical climate discussions, despite its dependency on fossil fuels
• This situation underscores the global challenge of balancing economic interests with urgent climate action
• The event will focus on the transition from fossil fuels and the financial support needed for less developed nations

⏭️ What's next: Azerbaijan's officials, inexperienced in global climate politics, face high expectations at the November summit
• The outcome could influence future climate policies and the role of natural gas as a transitional fuel
• The global community will be watching how Azerbaijan navigates its commitments and the summit’s demands

💬 One quote: "It's easy for Azerbaijan today to stay a fossil-fuel-producing country," said Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 president. "Why do you need to involve this pressure from all sides?"

📈 One stat: Fossil fuels account for over 90% of Azerbaijan's total exports

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