Swedish notorious environmental activist criticises Azerbaijan during visit to Armenia as sign of million-euro gratitude

Swedish notorious environmental activist Greta Thunberg is currently in Armenia, where she has voiced criticism regarding the ongoing COP29 climate conference being held in Azerbaijan.  

Thunberg's visit to Armenia and her anti-Azerbaijani statements can be explained by specific reasons, Caliber.Az reports.

The fact is that in 2020, she became the first recipient of the Calouste Gulbenkian Prize, established in honour of the British-Armenian oil magnate. Thunberg was selected from 136 candidates, including 79 organisations and 57 individuals from 46 countries. This fact may help explain her sympathies toward Armenia. 

Her visit to Armenia and criticism of Azerbaijan might be seen as a form of gratitude for the one million euro prize she received four years ago. In this unique way, Thunberg appears to be expressing her gratitude for the financial support she received, possibly the largest of her life.

COP29, which is being held at Baku Stadium from November 11-22, is Azerbaijan’s most significant international event to date and the first time the country has hosted a COP conference. The summit kicked off with the signing of the Host Country Agreement and other key documents between the Azerbaijani government and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat.

One of the central goals of COP29 is the establishment of a New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) for climate finance. To further this aim, the COP29 presidency has introduced 14 key initiatives designed to integrate climate action with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

By Naila Huseynova