COP29 in Baku Faces Controversy Amidst Organisational Praise

COP29 in Baku Faces Controversy Amidst Organisational Praise

The COP29 climate conference in Baku has received mixed reviews, with some participants praising its organisation and appearance, while others criticise the tumultuous proceedings behind closed doors.

The conference’s venue has earned positive remarks for its “polite, smiling” young volunteers and its “pristine cleanliness,” but the tight security surrounding the event has caused frustration.

Delegates have reported difficulties accessing the venue due to limited transport options, with public transport proving time-consuming and taxis hard to come by.

Inside the Blue Zone, where the crucial negotiations take place, the conference has faced significant setbacks. On the first day, Azerbaijani officials celebrated the provisional agreement on voluntary cooperation between countries to meet climate targets.

However, controversy arose over the rushed approval of carbon credit rules, which some say were pushed through without sufficient consultation, raising doubts about their long-term viability.

The carbon credit negotiations ran late into the night, causing delays to plenary sessions.

The body overseeing the carbon credit mechanism has faced criticism for bypassing the established COP process. While the rules were eventually accepted, the COP presidency urged further revisions, leaving open the possibility for substantial changes.

According to reports, the presidency softened Brazil’s objections to the mechanism, allowing the adoption of provisional rules.

Tensions Rise During the Conference

Unverified reports regarding the health of Brazil’s delegation leader and Argentina’s withdrawal from the conference on November 13 are just two examples of the ongoing tensions at the conference.

In a highly controversial moment, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev used a speech at an event for island nations to launch an attack on France, accusing the country of “colonial rule” in French Polynesia.

Aliyev’s comments, which referenced human rights violations in New Caledonia, prompted France’s Ecology Minister, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, to cancel her trip to Baku, calling Aliyev’s remarks “beneath the dignity of the COP host.”

Meanwhile, non-governmental groups planned activist actions on November 14 during COP29’s “Finance Day,” including a flash mob outside the Blue Zone to call for stronger funding commitments to combat climate change and actions highlighting concerns over carbon markets.

The most symbolic diplomatic snub came when Polish President Andrzej Duda refused to participate in the conference’s “family photo” due to the presence of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The two countries are at odds due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Poland and Belarus on opposite sides of the war.

Despite the logistical and political turbulence, the conference has made some progress, though the road ahead remains uncertain amid the ongoing disputes and challenges.