COP29 host Azerbaijan has suggested that continued fossil fuel extraction is compatible with the Paris Agreement.
The Azerbaijan presidency recently released 14 non-binding pledges and partnerships that countries are encouraged to sign up for at the summit.
At the same press conference, Elnur Soltanov, the summit’s chief executive, suggested that the Paris climate accord does not necessarily mean reducing fossil fuel production. The agreement mandates countries to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and ideally to 1.5.
When asked if countries’ climate plans could include continued oil, gas and coal expansion, Soltanov said, “To be 1.5C-aligned is the goal.” He also serves as Azerbaijan’s deputy energy minister.
Azerbaijan is a major oil and gas producer and plans to increase its extraction.
The deputy energy minister further said, “We should somehow delineate between a 1.5C alignment and this view about hydrocarbons.”
Citing projections that certain fossil fuels will still be needed for energy even if the world reaches climate neutrality by mid-century, Soltanov said, “There is a certain compatibility between them.”
Read more: EU to call for global transition from fossil fuel at COP29 Summit
He also emphasized hydrocarbons and added, “I think we should be talking more about emissions, which is really what causes global warming. So, in that sense, I really believe that you can still be 1.5C-aligned and also — as I said, according to different models … hydrocarbons will continue to be the key.”
Last year, the United Arab Emirates’ COP28 presidency faced criticism for its initial emphasis on addressing emissions—suggesting a reliance on carbon capture technology, which had not yet been proven on a large scale—rather than focusing on fossil fuels, the primary driver of climate change.
The Dubai summit ultimately concluded with a significant call for governments to shift away from fossil fuels.
