Vijay Jayaraj
The annual event of the climate movement, this year's United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, encountered unprecedented disregard and even dissent from developing countries.
Leaders of some of the world's most resource-rich and economically ambitious countries have chosen not to attend the conference, sending only low-level representatives, if any. It's the latest sign of growing resistance to the anti-fossil fuel “gospel” presented by the United Nations.
Last year's Conference of the Parties (COP28) in the Middle East, where oil wealth underpins entire economies, forced the climate community to confront its contradictions. Today, COP 29 in Central Asia continues this reckoning and heralds the demise of the unscientific and anti-development policy frameworks that undermine the global economy.
COP29 presenters educate climate awakening delegates
The tone of COP29 itself was markedly different from previous gatherings. In Azerbaijan, where oil and gas production is an integral part of the country's economy, summit host Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called fossil fuels “a gift from God” and praised their contribution to global prosperity and stability.
Fossil fuels have gone from a taboo “elephant in the room” to a subject of open discussion at the Conference of the Parties. Leaders of countries in Africa and Latin America are freely questioning the premise of banning fossil fuels, while many developed countries continue to consume record amounts of coal, oil and natural gas. The notion that high-income countries can dictate the energy agenda is seen as a remnant of a power structure that primarily serves the interests of the world's most privileged classes.
The International Energy Agency predicts that energy demand in developing countries will grow significantly in the next decade, but renewable energy will not be able to meet this growth. Leaders in these regions understand hydrocarbons as critical to achieving their development goals.
Unprecedented COP withdrawal and resistance from the global South
In a surprising move, Argentina's newly elected president, Javier Gerardo Milei, left Brazil less than a third of the way through this year's 11-day Conference of the Parties. Library withdrew its 80-member delegation. He noted the need for pragmatic energy policies that encourage development rather than hinder it.
For Mire, who ran his presidential campaign on a pro-business, anti-bureaucratic platform, the message was clear: Policies must serve the country's economic needs first. Argentina’s ongoing energy crisis, untapped shale gas reserves and dire economic conditions require a sober approach that puts national interests ahead of crazy and corrupt global climate ideals.
Mire's political philosophy resonates with a growing number of leaders in the South who believe that economic growth is vital and recognize that access to energy is fundamental to achieving that goal.
Argentina's withdrawal from COP29 is a turning point and should sound an alarm to the United Nations and its allies. The days of one size fits all are over. The strict orthodoxy of fossil fuel divestment promoted by the United Nations and rich countries is losing ground, challenged by leaders who refuse to sacrifice national interests for destructive agendas.
For much of the global South, the idea of an immediate energy transition remains an aspiration at best and completely unrealistic at worst. The reality is that fossil fuels still account for 80% of global energy consumption. This is not only an inconvenient fact; This is the inevitable foundation of modern civilization that developing countries deeply understand.
As the COP29 circus comes to an end in Baku, the world is witnessing the disillusionment of long-standing illusions that a global transition to green energy is feasible, let alone equitable and desirable. Developing countries claim they will not be deprived of necessary energy because of countries that continue to enjoy fossil fuels they disapprove of. The disconnect between rhetoric and reality is profound, and developing countries are calling attention to the issue.
Fossil fuels are not a relic of the past; they are a thing of the past. For many countries, they are the key to a prosperous future – a true “gift from God”.
Vijay Jayaraj is a scientific research assistant carbon monoxide2 allianceArlington, Virginia. He holds a master's degree in environmental science from the University of East Anglia, UK, a postgraduate degree in energy management from Robert Gordon University, and a bachelor's degree in engineering from Anna University, India.
This article was originally published by RealClearEnergy and provided via RealClearWire.
Relevant
