As COP29 opened on Monday November 11, 2024 in Azerbaijan, a scandal broke out around its director general, Elnur Soltanov. A BBC investigation, based on secret recordings, reveals that Soltanov allegedly used his role to discuss potential investment deals in the country’s oil and gas industry. According to the captured footage, Soltanov, also Azerbaijan’s deputy energy minister and member of the board of directors of the national oil company SOCAR, was discussing hydrocarbon “investment opportunities” with a man identifying himself as a potential investor.
In a recorded statement, Soltanov reportedly said: “We have many gas fields that need to be exploited,” suggesting an opportunity for investors to participate in fossil fuel projects, in direct contradiction to the COP’s goals. which aims to reduce the use of fossil fuels to limit global warming.
A former official of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reacted to this revelation by calling Soltanov’s attitude “totally unacceptable” and a “betrayal of the other members of the COP”. The scandal erupts as the summit begins in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku with crucial discussions on global strategies to mitigate climate change.
A fake investor infiltrates the backstage of COP29
The human rights organization Global Witness, in collaboration with the BBC, orchestrated this investigation by sending an undercover representative, who posed as the head of a fictitious investment company specializing in energy based in Hong Kong.
Presenting his interest in “sponsoring” COP29, this false investor allegedly asked to negotiate investments in SOCAR, the Azerbaijani national energy company.
Soon after, an online meeting was organized with Soltanov, who, in his combined role as COP head and Deputy Energy Minister, openly discussed opportunities in the oil and gas sector. Documents and videos obtained by Global Witness and analyzed by the BBC show an exchange where Soltanov highlights the economic benefits of exploiting gas fields and business opportunities in Azerbaijan.
Reactions and implications for COP29
Faced with the revelations, the Azerbaijani COP29 team did not respond to requests from the BBC for an official statement. However, this affair raises serious questions about the transparency and ethics of the organization of the COP. Several observers fear that this conflict of interest between Soltanov’s functions could tarnish the credibility of COP29 and hamper the already complex discussions around the global energy transition.
This scandal comes as COP29 is supposed to bring together nations for a new climate commitment, in a context where the impacts of climate change are increasingly being felt. In Spain, devastating floods caused the death of more than 200 people two weeks ago, reminding us of the extent to which extreme weather phenomena, amplified by global warming, are becoming frequent and deadly.
Around 90% of Azerbaijan’s exports come from hydrocarbons, according to official US statistics. The preponderant role of the fossil fuel industry in the Azerbaijani economy and Soltanov’s political functions underline the complex issue of the energy transition for hydrocarbon-producing countries.
Moctar FICUU / VivAfrik
