The CEO of COP29, Azim Soltanov, is at the center of a scandal following an undercover investigation by the activist organization Global Witness. Posing as representatives of a fake oil and gas company named ‘EC Capital’, the group filmed Soltanov offering to help arrange fossil fuel deals during the upcoming climate summit in exchange for sponsorship of the event.

In the secretly recorded footage, Soltanov is seen introducing the fake company to senior executives at SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil and gas company. He suggests that the two parties could establish joint ventures, mentioning that SOCAR trades oil and gas worldwide, including in Asia. Soltanov also described natural gas as a “transitional fuel” and implied that oil and gas production could continue indefinitely, comments that starkly contrast with global climate goals. His remarks appear to directly contradict the stance of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which warns that new oil and gas developments are incompatible with the targets of the Paris Agreement.

This revelation has sparked outrage among climate activists, who are calling for a ban on fossil fuel companies and their lobbyists from attending COP summits. The incident also draws comparisons to a similar controversy at last year’s COP28 in the United Arab Emirates. There, leaked documents showed that the UAE government sought to use the summit to promote deals for its national oil company, ADNOC, with Sultan Al Jaber—CEO of ADNOC and the UAE’s climate envoy—playing a key role in the efforts.

The timing of the scandal is particularly sensitive, as COP29 is set to take place soon. The exposure of such ties between climate officials and the fossil fuel industry has raised serious questions about the integrity of the negotiations and the influence of corporate interests on global climate policy. Activists argue that the fossil fuel industry’s involvement at COP events undermines efforts to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future

Source: Agencies