Leaked Recording Exposes Azerbaijan COP29 Official’s Shocking Fossil Fuel Deal-Making

A senior official leading the COP29 climate conference team in Azerbaijan, Elnur Soltanov, is under scrutiny for allegedly discussing potential fossil fuel investment opportunities while serving as the event’s chief executive. According to an exclusive report by the BBC, a hidden recording reveals Soltanov, who is also Azerbaijan's deputy energy minister and on the board of the state oil company Socar, discussing investment in Azerbaijan’s gas fields with an undercover individual posing as an investor.

The recording reportedly shows Soltanov discussing Azerbaijan's plans to increase gas production, mentioning potential joint ventures and new pipeline projects, and describing natural gas as a “transitional fuel.” Soltanov’s remarks raised eyebrows, with Christiana Figueres, a former head of the UN climate body, calling the actions “completely unacceptable” and “contrary” to COP’s mission to combat climate change. Figueres went on to label the behavior as “a betrayal of the COP process.”

These revelations come just ahead of COP29, scheduled to open in Baku on Monday, where nations are set to discuss measures to address climate change. Despite the conference’s purpose of reducing fossil fuel dependency, Soltanov appeared eager to link Socar to prospective investors, reportedly saying he would help initiate talks between the undercover “investor” and Socar.

The BBC notes that this incident follows a similar report in 2023 involving COP28’s host nation, the UAE, which was accused of using the conference to negotiate oil and gas deals. The United Nations, responsible for establishing ethical standards at COP summits, declined to comment on the allegations directly but reiterated that its standards emphasize impartiality and prohibit personal bias.