Climate activist Greta Thunberg took to the streets in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Monday to protest against Azerbaijan’s hosting of the annual United Nations climate summit, COP29. Thunberg, joined by other environmental activists, voiced strong opposition to the decision, claiming that Azerbaijan’s record of human rights abuses and repression disqualifies it from hosting such a critical global event.
Thunberg and numerous activists gathered in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, to express their concerns about Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29, the UN’s climate conference. The protests coincided with the summit’s opening in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. As one of the world’s major oil producers, Azerbaijan is under scrutiny for its environmental record, with critics arguing that the country is using the conference as an opportunity to “greenwash” its human rights abuses.
“We can’t give them any legitimacy in this situation,” Thunberg stated at the rally, condemning Azerbaijan’s repressive policies. She described the nation as a “repressive, occupying state” involved in “ethnic cleansing” and ongoing suppression of civil society. Thunberg’s comments highlight the concern that Azerbaijan is leveraging its oil wealth to gain international recognition while masking its authoritarian practices.
Azerbaijan’s Human Rights Record Under Scrutiny
Azerbaijan has faced global criticism for its political climate, particularly under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, who has ruled since 2003. His government has been accused of suppressing freedom of speech and curtailing political dissent. Despite this, Azerbaijan has made commitments to clean energy projects, although critics argue that these initiatives primarily serve the country’s interests in exporting more oil and gas, rather than a genuine commitment to combating climate change.
Thunberg’s protest calls attention to what she sees as the dangerous consequences of holding a global climate summit in an authoritarian regime. “Holding the climate change conference in an authoritarian petro-state is beyond absurd,” Thunberg remarked, emphasizing that this decision undermines the purpose of the summit and allows Azerbaijan to use the event for political gain.
Azerbaijan’s Controversial Election
President Aliyev’s recent re-election in 2023 has sparked further controversy. The election was widely regarded as lacking in political competition and held in a restrictive environment, according to monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This election followed a period of increased popularity for Aliyev, stemming from Azerbaijan’s military success in reclaiming the Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian separatists in 2023.
Following the military operation, Azerbaijan regained full control of Karabakh, and the majority of its 120,000 Armenian residents fled the region. Azerbaijani officials have promised to protect the rights of Armenians who choose to stay, though international observers remain concerned about the situation.
Thunberg’s Call For Climate Action
Greta Thunberg’s message during the protest in Tbilisi extended beyond Azerbaijan’s hosting of the summit. The climate activist pointed to alarming statistics, with global greenhouse gas emissions reaching record highs last year, contributing to what is set to become the hottest year in human history. The European climate service Copernicus recently announced that the world is on track to see 1.5 degrees of warming this year, exacerbating the climate crisis.
Thunberg, who has inspired a global youth movement advocating for urgent climate action, continues to draw attention to the need for stronger global efforts to address climate change. Speaking about the COP29 summit, she stressed that the conference should serve as a platform for real, meaningful change, rather than allowing authoritarian regimes to use it for their own political purposes.
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