Azerbaijan has to extend its gasoline manufacturing due to “commitments” to satisfy EU demand, its key official has implied, because it prepares to open the COP29 local weather talks in Baku.
In an unique interview with Sky Information, lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev sought to dispel darkish clouds gathering over the crucial UN talks which start on Monday.
Worry has unfold that the already shaky negotiations will wrestle to make progress after the re-election of local weather sceptic Donald Trump, a scandal round one in all Mr Rafiyev’s colleagues and the information that many EU leaders will not attend the Baku talks.
Azerbaijan is ‘decided’ to remodel its fossil fuel-based vitality system, Yalchin Rafiyev advised Sky Information
However Mr Rafiyev says he stays “optimistic” in regards to the challenges going through COP29 – together with Mr Trump’s US election win.
Requested if the president-elect is dangerous information for local weather motion, he stated: “I would not say so.” He has already met with US counterparts for the reason that election, and so they stay “constructive”, he added.
Might the revealing of Donald Trump’s full vitality and local weather insurance policies be disastrous for COP talks? Pic: Reuters
‘All people understands the importance’
Many EU leaders can even be absent from the local weather talks in Baku as they fend off political turmoil at residence.
Olaf Scholz’s German government is in disarray, the Dutch prime minister is coping with soccer violence, and the European Union fee’s president Ursula von der Leyen is getting ready for her second time period.
COP29 comes at a time when EU involvement issues greater than ever, because the summit is meant to agree on a major new climate fund for creating nations, and rich European nations are collectively the most important donors.
“In fact high-level political engagement is vital,” Mr Rafiyev stated. However he pressured they are going to be represented by their groups anyway.
“All people understands the importance of [getting a] deal,” he added.
Azerbaijan’s oil is in decline, however its gasoline is on the rise. Pic: AP
‘Buyer commitments’ guilty for gasoline manufacturing
A few of these similar European nations are retaining Azerbaijan hooked on gasoline, Mr Rafiyev additionally implied.
Requested if his nation’s plans to extend gasoline manufacturing by 30% had been appropriate with its local weather management function, he stated it was obliged by “commitments in the direction of our prospects” and the “geopolitical context surrounding us”.
After the EU determined to ditch Russian fossil fuels in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine, it came looking to gas-rich Azerbaijan to fill the gap.
However no new fossil gasoline tasks can go forward if the world is to restrict warming to 1.5C, as agreed within the Paris Settlement, scientists have stated.
The planet is now hurtling in the direction of at least 2.6C of heat above pre-industrial ranges.
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Azerbaijan defends its personal local weather plans
Because it prepares to steer 200 nations by two weeks of rocky negotiations, Azerbaijan has seen its personal local weather credentials scrutinised.
The nation will get simply 1.5% of its vitality from clear sources – although it’s aiming to get to 30% – and its local weather plan was given the bottom attainable ranking of “critically inadequate” by impartial science mission Local weather Motion Tracker.
Mr Rafiyev pushed again in opposition to criticisms that Azerbaijan will not be doing sufficient as a COP host.
“I might respectfully disagree with the purpose that that is inadequate,” he stated, promising a brand new local weather plan quickly.
However he wouldn’t decide to publishing one throughout COP29.
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Summit scandal performed down
Mr Rafiyev additionally broke the COP29 staff’s silence on a scandal this week. Elnur Soltanov, the summit’s chief government, was caught in undercover filming apparently utilizing his function to tout gasoline offers, in addition to inexperienced tasks.
“I would not touch upon any media report. We’re right here to debate an vital local weather assembly,” he stated.
However will it make his life in negotiations even more durable? Mr Rafiyev insisted not.
“No,” he stated. “We proceed our negotiation course of in the identical manner. I am assembly with everybody.”
As for that lacking peace cope with Armenia, Mr Rafiyev, who can be the deputy overseas minister, stated it was “very shut”.
