Azerbaijan Fossil fuels as a "divine gift"? - Azerbaijan's president causes a stir

At the world climate conference, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev causes controversy with his statement that oil and gas are a "gift from God". Despite global efforts to protect the climate, the production of fossil fuels remains at record levels.

The World Climate Conference is dominated by the confrontation with the fossil fuel industry, which continues to flourish despite all efforts to protect the climate. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev caused a stir when he described oil and gas as a "gift from God". He defended the extraction of these energy sources and rejected accusations that countries like Azerbaijan should be criticized for their natural resources. "Accusing us of having oil is like accusing us of Baku having more than 250 days of sunshine a year," Aliyev explained.

Reactions to Aliyev's statements

The reactions to Aliyev's statements were not long in coming. Martin Kaiser, head of Greenpeace Germany, was appalled and described the statement as a "slap in the face" for all those who are already suffering from the consequences of climate change, such as the Pacific island states. The scientific community is unanimous: in order to prevent the worst effects of global warming, no more new coal, oil and gas extraction projects should be built.

Contradictory reality of fossil fuel extraction

Despite the agreement reached at last year's UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai to move away from climate-damaging energy sources, the reality shows a different picture. An analysis by environmental organizations found that oil and gas production reached a new high in 2023. According to the "Global Oil & Gas Exit List", the companies covered produced 55.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent last year, which is higher than the previous record levels before the coronavirus pandemic.

Court ruling strengthens the fossil fuel industry

The oil and gas industry also received a boost from a court ruling in favor of the British company Shell. A civil court in The Hague overturned a first-instance ruling that would have obliged Shell to drastically reduce its CO2 emissions. This decision could also have far-reaching consequences for other companies.

Criticism of absent heads of state

In Baku, UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticized the continued dependence on fossil fuels as "absurd" and called on the industrialized countries of the G20 group to keep their climate promises. However, several prominent heads of state and government were absent from the stage in Baku, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. Instead, politicians from countries that are particularly affected by the climate crisis, such as the President of the Marshall Islands, Hilda Heine, who questioned the responsibility of states and companies, spoke out.

"History will judge those who fail in the transition," warned Heine, emphasizing the urgency of action in the face of the impending climate catastrophe.

SDA