By AFP - Agence France Presse
Oil executives work at COP29, while NGOs criticize the presence of lobbyists.
By Julien MIVIELLE, Delphine PAYSANT
Oil executives and lobbyists arrived at COP29 in Baku for “energy day” on Friday, as environmental groups denounced the presence of the fossil fuel sector at the UN climate talks.
As negotiators discussed the main goal of increasing climate finance, a former UN chief said the talks were “no longer fit for purpose.”
The head of France's TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanne, told AFP that the sector was “part of the problem” but insisted that it was making “steady progress” on the transition.
The NGO coalition “Kick the Big Polluters Out” (KBPO) has analyzed accreditations at the annual climate conference, estimating that more than 1,700 people linked to fossil fuel interests are present.
“The fossil fuel industry is wreaking havoc on people's lives, the fossil fuel industry is responsible for the destruction,” said Makoma Lekalakala, a South African environmental activist.
The presence of oil, gas, and coal interests at the climate talks has long been a source of controversy, and the appointment of the head of the United Arab Emirates' state oil company, Sultan Al Jaber, to lead last year's talks in Dubai fueled the criticism.
This year's host is energy-rich Azerbaijan, whose president Ilham Aliyev repeated on Tuesday his insistence that oil and gas are a “godsend.”
Former US vice-president and climate activist Al Gore told AFP that it was “absurd that these petrostates, which depend so much on the continued sale of oil and gas, should be hosting these COPs.”
“It's hard not to notice the fact that they have a direct conflict of interest,” he said in an interview in Baku.
A group of leading climate activists and scientists, including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, warned on Friday that the COP process was “no longer fit for purpose.”
They called for smaller and more frequent meetings, strict criteria for host countries, and rules to ensure that companies demonstrate clear climate commitments before being allowed to send lobbyists to the negotiations.
Michael Robertson, chief climate change negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States, said the negotiations remain crucial for vulnerable nations that are left out of forums like the G20.
“This is the only time when our voice can be heard,” he said.
KBPO said that Japan brought officials from coal giant Sumitomo as part of its delegation, Canada included oil producers Suncor and Tourmaline, and Italy brought officials from energy giants Eni and Enel.
However, some of those on the NGO's list work for companies that are not primarily related to fossil fuels, including Danish offshore wind energy champion Orsted.
The main priority in the negotiations is a new amount for climate finance to help developing countries adapt to climate change and transition their economies away from fossil fuels.
Rich nations are reluctant to spend much more than the $100 billion a year already committed, aware of domestic public anger at inflation and struggling economies.
But developing countries warn that they need at least $1 trillion to defend themselves against the ravages of climate change and meet commitments to achieve net zero emissions.
Negotiators are struggling to agree on a workable draft text before ministers arrive next week.
“We have to be honest, we believe that the pace of their work is too slow,” warned COP29 chief negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev on Friday afternoon.
The question hanging over proceedings is what role the United States will play in climate action and financing after Donald Trump returns to the White House in January, given his pledge to withdraw again from the landmark Paris Agreement.
US officials present at the talks insisted that Trump will have a hard time undoing climate action already underway.
“When history is written, he will be seen as an obstacle in the tremendous growth of this clean energy transition,” Washington State's Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, said at an event on Friday.
bur-sah/fg
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