Video appears to show COP29 CEO offering to facilitate fossil fuel deals
In a revealing investigation by Global Witness, the CEO of COP29 Azerbaijan, Elnur Soltanov, unwittingly disclosed the influence of fossil fuel interests within climate negotiations.
Believing he was speaking to an oil and gas investor, the CEO highlighted investment opportunities in Azerbaijani gas and facilitated introductions with a SOCAR Türkiye executive to discuss oil deals—turning the climate summit into a venue for fossil fuel transactions.
The investigation, covered by the BBC News, underscores the persistent infiltration of fossil fuel interests in critical climate talks. Despite the fossil fuel industry’s assurances, these revelations expose a stark reality: the planet’s future risks being sold out for profit.
With 2024 already the hottest year on record and climate-fueled disasters escalating globally, such interference is a dire threat to meaningful climate action. Former UNFCCC chief Christiana Figueres condemned the findings, calling them “contrary and egregious” to COP’s purpose, even labeling the behavior as “a treason to the process.”
As fossil fuels drive nearly 90% of CO2 emissions, shielding global climate policy from vested interests is more urgent than ever.
