Greta Thunberg Leads Protest Against Azerbaijan Hosting COP29 Climate Summit Over Human Rights Concerns

Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined a protest in Georgia on Monday against Azerbaijan hosting the United Nations climate talks. Thunberg, along with many other activists, gathered in Tbilisi to voice their opposition. They argued that Azerbaijan's policies are too repressive for it to host such an event.

The UN climate conference, known as COP29, began on Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital. This country is a significant oil producer and the site of the world's first oil well. Thunberg criticised Azerbaijan, describing it as "a repressive, occupying state, which has committed ethnic cleansing, and which is continuing cracking down on Azerbaijani civil society." She accused the nation of using the summit to "greenwash their crimes and human rights abuses."

Protests Against Greenwashing

Thunberg stated, "We can't give them any legitimacy in this situation, which is why we are standing here and saying no to greenwashing and no to the Azerbaijani regime." Despite Azerbaijan's commitment to clean energy projects, critics argue these efforts are merely a cover to export more oil and gas.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has been in power since 2003 after succeeding his father. Critics accuse him of suppressing dissent and limiting freedom of speech. Earlier this year, Aliyev secured another seven-year term in an election described by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe as occurring in a "restrictive environment" without genuine political competition.

Political Climate in Azerbaijan

The early election was called amid a surge in Aliyev's popularity following Azerbaijan's swift reclaiming of the Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian separatists in September 2023. This region had been under Armenian control for three decades. After regaining control, most of the 120,000 Armenian residents fled, although Azerbaijani authorities claimed they were welcome to stay with assurances of their human rights.

Thunberg, who began her climate activism with weekly protests outside the Swedish parliament in 2018 at age 15, has inspired a global youth movement demanding stronger climate action. Her presence at the rally highlighted concerns about holding a climate conference in what she termed an "authoritarian petro state."

Global Climate Concerns

The European climate service Copernicus recently reported that global temperatures are on track for a 1.5-degree increase this year. This year is set to become the hottest recorded in human history. Thunberg pointed out that this record heat follows last year's peak in global greenhouse gas emissions.

The rally in Tbilisi underscored the activists' message against legitimising regimes with poor human rights records through international events like COP29. The protest aimed to draw attention to the need for genuine climate action rather than superficial commitments.