COP29: Green tech innovation linked to fossil fuels critical for Paris Agreement’s success Article by Arab News

Saudi newspaper Arab News has published an article dedicated to the COP29 climate conference, which concludes on November 22 in Baku. Caliber.Az reprints the piece.

Editor’s note: Jonathan Gornall is a British journalist, formerly with The Times, who has lived and worked in the Middle East and is now based in the UK.

When Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber, president of last year's COP28 climate conference in Dubai, referred to the crucial role that large fossil fuel producers play in the transition to renewable energy, his comments were met with predictable scorn. However, when President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan greeted delegates at the start of COP29 in Baku, with a similarly forthright defence of the oil industry, the reaction was one of unbridled outrage.

Aliyev’s remarks, in which he “glorified” fossil fuels, were labelled “inappropriate” and considered an “abuse of the stage.” The idea of holding climate talks in a “petrostate” like Azerbaijan was described as “a dark joke.” Yet, Aliyev’s only “offence” was expressing a straightforward truth. Azerbaijan’s oil and gas, he stated, like all natural resources, were “a gift from God” and “countries should not be blamed for having them and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to market, because the market needs them. The people need them.”

Aliyev’s comments serve to remind us that the Industrial Revolution—responsible for the vast energy demands of the modern world—was not driven by Azerbaijan or the Gulf states sitting on some of the world’s largest fossil fuel reserves. Instead, it was initiated by Great Britain and subsequently followed by other European nations, which industrialised with coal, and later, oil and gas.

The criticism of Azerbaijan and the UAE hosting COP summits overlooks the ambitious green agendas in both countries. The UAE’s Masdar, part-owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, operates numerous wind farms and solar plants globally, including the London Array, one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.

Meanwhile, in Azerbaijan, Masdar launched the region’s largest solar power plant last year, and the Saudi company ACWA Power is building a large wind farm. Azerbaijan has ambitious plans to generate 6 gigawatts of power from solar, wind, and hydro stations by 2030.

"As the President of COP29, of course, we will be strong advocates for the green transition, and we’re doing it. But at the same time, we must be realistic," Aliyev concluded.

Nevertheless, realism appeared to be in short supply as COP29 unfolded. Outrage erupted when it was revealed that among the 72,000 registered delegates were representatives from oil, coal, and gas companies, collectively referred to in some media as “the planet-heating industry.”

Both Aliyev and Al-Jaber, in their remarks, highlighted truths often overlooked in climate discussions, particularly by protest groups advocating for an immediate end to fossil fuel extraction. As Al-Jaber noted at COP28, while “a phase-down and a phase-out of fossil fuel in my view is inevitable (and) essential... we need to be really serious and pragmatic about it… unless you want to take the world back into caves.”

Without the expertise, investment, and transitional technologies provided by the fossil fuel industry, such as wind and solar power, synthetic green fuels, and carbon capture, achieving the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would be impossible.

A further issue is the $2.4 trillion per year in external finance needed by developing countries by 2030 to mitigate the effects of climate change, a consequence of emissions primarily from developed nations. Fossil fuel revenues are a key source of the funds necessary for the green transition in these nations.

Despite criticisms, fossil fuels remain vital for keeping the world turning during the transition. The profits generated by oil and gas are often the only realistic source of the massive investment required to fund renewable energy projects in the developing world. For instance, ACWA Power, a Saudi company, has already invested $7 billion in renewable energy across Africa, making it a leading investor in the continent's energy transition.

Critics of “petrostates” should remember that virtually everything we value in the modern world is powered or made from fossil fuels. The ongoing transition to renewable energy will rely on the continued production of these resources for years to come. Rather than condemning fossil fuel producers, the world should embrace their expertise and capacity to finance and drive technological change.

COP29 marks the second consecutive climate summit held in a major oil-producing nation. Next year’s COP30 will be held in Brazil, one of the world’s top ten oil producers, making it the third such summit. Those who genuinely care about tackling climate change should welcome the growing inclusivity of the COP process, because without it, addressing climate change may be impossible.

By Aghakazim Guliyev