Azerbaijan, which is set to host this year’s UN climate summit in November, has “critically insufficient” climate plans, according to an assessment from the Climate Action Tracker.
The petrostate—the third consecutive petrostate to host a COP—has weakened its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)—one of the very few countries to do so—removed its 2030 target and pledged to ramp up fossil fuel production.
In fact, Azerbaijan is planning to increase fossil gas extraction by more than 30 per cent over the coming decade.
This is at odds with the scientific consensus of what is required to limit global warming at 1.5C.
According to the analysis from Climate Action Tracker, which assesses national climate plans, the country’s emissions are actually set to rise by around 20 per cent through to 2030, with methane emissions also quickly on the rise and already 6 per cent above 1990 levels.
“Azerbaijan does not include a transition away from fossil fuels in its NDC or in the COP29 agenda. This is not the kind of leadership we need in this crucial time of climate action as the world is increasingly being hit by catastrophic, climate-fuelled weather events,” said Ana Missirliu from CAT partner organisation NewClimate Institute.
This week, the independent research group called for the country to “substantially upgrade” its policies to reduce emissions, considerably improve its NDC, put forward a net zero target and devise a plan to transition away from fossil fuels.