Azerbaijan, host of the Cop29 global climate summit, will see a major expansion of fossil gas production over the next decade, a new report reveals. Major negotiations should not be overseen by those “interested in keeping the world hooked on fossil fuels,” the authors said.
Azerbaijan's state oil and gas company Socar and its partners plan to increase the country's annual gas production from the current 37 billion cubic meters (bcm) to 49 billion cubic meters by 2033. Socar recently agreed to increase exports of gas to the EU by 17%. % by 2026.
Cop29 summit starts on November 11 Scientists say continued record carbon dioxide emissions mean “the future of humanity is at stake”. The International Energy Agency says that in 2021 there will have to be new exploitation of fossil fuels if there is no CO2 Emissions must be reduced to zero by 2050.
But Socar earmarked 97% of its capital spending on oil and gas projects by 2023, according to the report. The company launched a “green energy division” just weeks after Azerbaijan was named host of COP29, promising investments in wind, solar and carbon capture technologies. But according to the report, Socar's renewable operations remain negligible.
Azerbaijan's climate action plan was rated “substantially inadequate” by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) in September. “Azerbaijan is part of a small group of countries that have weakened their climate goal. [and] The country is redoubling its commitment to the extraction of fossil fuels,” said CAT analysts.
Azerbaijan and Sokar have also been accused of human rights abuses, according to the report. The authors said freedom of expression and human rights must be protected for civil society to defeat the climate crisis.
“Given Sokar's key role in Azerbaijan's economy and his close ties to the country's political elite, his influence will certainly be felt during the climate talks in Baku,” said Regine Richter of the German NGO Urgewald, lead author of the report. “As we prepare for Cop29, we can't help but wonder: Have we played the fox for the chicken?”
Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, said at a climate conference in April: “Having oil and gas deposits is not our fault. It is a gift from God. Allies appointed the football management team and was vice president of football until he succeeded his father as the country's president in 2003. Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev, will lead Cop29. Previously worked for Socar for 26 years until 2018. Rovshan Najaf, President of Socar, Cop29 organizing committee.
Responding to Azerbaijan's gas production and energy transition, a Cop29 spokesperson said: “Azerbaijan is investing in gas capacity in response to European demand to increase supply following supply disruptions by Russia. is acceptable [UN’s] The global stocktake recognized the need to ensure that the energy transition is fair and orderly. The Global Stockpile concluded that the world is not on track to stop global warming and that “urgent and deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” are needed.
A Cop29 spokesperson added: “Azerbaijan is actively developing its abundant solar and wind resources as part of its commitment to becoming a leading provider of green energy.” Neither Sokar nor Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry responded to The Guardian's requests for comment.
A new report by Urgewald and CEE Bankwatch says Azerbaijan will increase its gas production by a third over the next decade, with fossil fuel companies predicting they will spend $41.4bn (£31.9bn) on gas fields of the country. Socar alone spent almost $300 million on new oil and gas exploration between 2022 and 2024, according to the report.
The analysis is based on data from industry-leading supplier Rystad Energy. Includes current gas production, new resources approved for development, and other known resources. Flaring the expected gas production would produce around 780 million tons of CO2More than double the UK's annual emissions. Instead of finding more reserves, scientists decided that by 2021 existing gas reserves must remain underground to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Socar works with some of the world's largest fossil fuel companies, including BP, TotalEnergies, Russian oil giant Tatneft and UAE state oil company Adnoc. Adnoc CEO Sultan Al Jaber chaired Cop28 in Dubai, where many countries failed to reach an agreement to “phase out” fossil fuels as they wished, opting instead for the weak ambition to “go fossil fuels offline.” .
Socar is receiving substantial financial support through $6.8 billion in loans and underwriting between 2021 and 2023. Banking Alliance on Climate Confusion.
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Azerbaijan's economy is heavily dependent on fossil fuel revenues, accounting for 90% of export earnings and 60% of state revenue, according to the IEA. Azerbaijan's gas production could be similar to that of the United Kingdom in 2022. Its oil production has decreased since 2010.
“The people who run it are very important.” [Cop29] “The negotiations are about real climate leaders, not those interested in hooking the world on fossil fuels,” the report says.
The report also highlighted human rights violations and allegations of corruption in Azerbaijan. The European Court of Human Rights has found that the country has violated the European Convention on Human Rights 263 times since 2001, including three counts of torture and 30 counts of inhuman and degrading treatment.
Freedom House ranks Azerbaijan among the least free countries in the world in terms of political rights, independent media and civil liberties, below Russia and Belarus. Transparency International rated Azerbaijan as the second worst country for public sector corruption in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in 2022.
Azerbaijan-based Sokar also accused the Organization for the Protection of Oil Workers' Rights of human rights violations, citing health and safety violations and environmental pollution.
Manana Kochladze of CEE Bankwatch said: “While other governments partner with civil society to address the climate crisis, the Aliyev regime systematically threatens environmental and human rights defenders. This does not inspire confidence in the upcoming negotiations in Baku.
