Naming of another oil veteran as COP29 president sparks concerns among sustainability leaders
This is the second time the world’s most important climate summit will be led by someone with strong ties with the fossil fuel industry.
Corporate sustainability professionals, NGOs and activists have expressed their concern after Azerbaijan named Mukhtar Babayev, its current Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, who worked at state-owned oil company SOCAR for 24 years, as president-designate of COP29.
This is the second time the world’s most important climate summit will be led by someone with strong ties with the fossil fuel industry. Pierre-Olivier Dubois, Sustainable Innovation and Circular Design Director at French telco Orange, expressed shock that “another oil industry face [was appointed] to preside over a climate conference”.
