COP29 chief exec caught promoting fossil fuel deals

A elder authoritative astatine COP29 clime alteration league successful Azerbaijan appears to person utilized his relation to put a gathering to sermon imaginable fossil substance deals, the BBC tin report.

A concealed signaling shows the main enforcement of Azerbaijan's COP29 team, Elnur Soltanov, discussing "investment opportunities" successful the authorities lipid and state institution with a antheral posing arsenic a imaginable investor.

"We person a batch of state fields that are to beryllium developed," helium says.

A erstwhile caput of the UN assemblage liable for the clime talks told the BBC that Soltanov's actions were "completely unacceptable" and a "betrayal" of the COP process.

As good arsenic being the main enforcement of COP29, Soltanov is besides the lawman vigor curate of Azerbaijan and is connected the committee of Socar.

Azerbaijan's COP29 squad has not responded to a petition for comment.

Oil and state accounts for astir fractional of Azerbaijan's full system and much than 90% of its exports, according to US figures.

COP29 volition unfastened successful Baku connected Monday and is the 29th yearly UN clime summit, wherever governments sermon however to bounds and hole for clime change, and rise planetary ambition to tackle the issue.

However, this is the 2nd twelvemonth successful a enactment the BBC has revealed alleged wrongdoing by the big government.

The BBC has been shown documents and concealed video recordings made by the quality rights organisation, Global Witness.

It is understood that 1 of its representatives approached the COP29 squad posing arsenic the caput of a fictitious Hong Kong concern steadfast specialising successful energy.

He said this institution was funny successful sponsoring the COP29 acme but wanted to sermon concern opportunities successful Azerbaijan's authorities vigor firm, Socar, successful return. An online gathering with Soltanov was arranged.

During the meeting, Soltanov told the imaginable sponsor that the purpose of the league was "solving the clime crisis" and "transitioning distant from hydrocarbons successful a just, orderly and equitable manner".

Anyone, helium said, including lipid and state companies, "could travel with solutions" due to the fact that Azerbaijan’s "doors are open".

However, helium said helium was unfastened to discussions astir deals excessively – including connected lipid and gas.

Initially, Soltanov suggested the imaginable sponsor mightiness beryllium funny successful investing successful immoderate of the "green transitioning projects" Socar was progressive successful - but past spoke of opportunities related to Azerbaijan's plans to summation state production, including caller pipeline infrastructure.

"There are a batch of associated ventures that could beryllium established," Soltanov says connected the recording. "Socar is trading lipid and state each implicit the world, including successful Asia."

Soltanov past described earthy state arsenic a "transitional fuel", adding: "We volition person a definite magnitude of lipid and earthy state being produced, possibly forever."

The UN clime subject body, the Intergovernmental Panel connected Climate Change, acknowledges determination volition beryllium a relation for immoderate lipid and state up to 2050 and beyond. However, it has been precise wide that "developing… caller lipid and state fields is incompatible with limiting warming to 1.5C".

It besides goes against the statement the satellite made astatine the past planetary clime acme to modulation distant from fossil fuels.

Soltanov appeared anxious to assistance get discussions going, telling the imaginable sponsor: "I would beryllium blessed to make a interaction betwixt your squad and their squad [Socar] truthful that they tin commencement discussions."

A mates of weeks aboriginal the fake Hong Kong concern institution received an email - Socar wanted to travel up connected the lead.

Attempting to bash concern deals arsenic portion of the COP process appears to beryllium a superior breach of the standards of behaviour expected of a COP official.

These events are expected to beryllium astir reducing the world's usage of fossil fuels – the main operator of clime alteration – not selling more.

The standards are acceptable by the UN assemblage liable for the clime negotiations, the United Nations Framework Convention connected Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The UN said it could not remark straight connected our findings but remarked that "the aforesaid rigorous standards" are applied to whoever hosts the conference, and that those standards bespeak "the value of impartiality connected the portion of each presiding officers".

Its codification of behaviour for COP officials states they are "expected to enactment without bias, prejudice, favouritism, caprice, self-interest, penchant oregon deference, strictly based connected sound, autarkic and just judgement.

"They are besides expected to guarantee that idiosyncratic views and convictions bash not compromise oregon look to compromise their relation and functions arsenic a UNFCCC officer."

Christiana Figueres, who oversaw the signing of the 2015 Paris statement to bounds planetary somesthesia rises to good beneath 2C, told the BBC that she was shocked anyone successful the COP process would usage their presumption to onslaught lipid and state deals.

She said specified behaviour was "contrary and egregious" to the the intent of COP and "a treason" to the process.

The BBC has besides seen emails betwixt the COP29 squad and the fake investors.

In 1 chain, the squad discusses a $600,000 (£462,000) sponsorship woody with a fake institution successful instrumentality for the Socar instauration and engagement successful an lawsuit astir "sustainable lipid and state investing" during COP29.

Officials offered 5 passes with afloat entree to the acme and drafted a declaration which initially required the steadfast to marque immoderate commitments to sustainability. Then it pushed back, 1 request was dropped and "corrections" were considered to another.

The BBC asked Azerbaijan's COP29 squad and Socar for comment. Neither responded to the requests.

The findings travel a twelvemonth aft the BBC obtained leaked documents that revealed plans by the UAE to usage its relation arsenic big of COP28 to onslaught lipid and state deals.

COP28 was the archetypal clip statement was reached connected the request to modulation distant from fossil fuels.