The upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) is generating significant criticism due to its host, Azerbaijan, a country with a track record of human rights abuses, including the recent ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite these atrocities, Azerbaijan is positioning itself as a responsible climate leader, with claims of achieving “net-zero” carbon emissions in the contested region.
This blatant contradiction highlights the ongoing problem of authoritarian governments using international platforms, like COP, for “greenwashing”—a practice of masking human rights violations with environmental rhetoric. Azerbaijan’s involvement raises concerns about the integrity of the summit and its ability to address the global climate crisis.
The decision to grant Azerbaijan the privilege of hosting COP29 is particularly troubling given the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. Azerbaijan, despite being a major oil and gas producer, was awarded the conference after Armenia dropped its veto in exchange for the release of 32 Armenian prisoners of war.
This deal exposes Azerbaijan’s repeated use of prisoner exchanges to prolong human rights violations, including the detention and abuse of civilians, prisoners of war, and journalists. These actions reflect Azerbaijan’s broader strategy of leveraging international negotiations for political and military gains, all while maintaining its authoritarian grip at home.
For years, Azerbaijan has relied on its oil and gas reserves as a shield against international scrutiny, particularly from the West. The U.S. has positioned Azerbaijan as a key partner in diversifying Europe’s energy supply and countering Russian and Iranian influence in the region.
However, this strategy has allowed Azerbaijan to act with impunity, continuing its military aggression and violating human rights without facing significant consequences. Despite clear evidence of Azerbaijan’s systematic abuse of Armenians and others, the U.S. has maintained its support, prioritizing energy and regional security over human rights.
Azerbaijan’s increasing ties with Russia and Iran in the wake of the Ukraine war further expose the shortcomings of the U.S.’s strategy. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Azerbaijan expanded its energy cooperation with Moscow, even negotiating deals that helped bypass international sanctions on Russian oil.
This deepened relationship with Russia, alongside growing economic ties with Iran, weakens the West’s influence in the region. Nonetheless, the U.S. continues to back Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29, disregarding the worsening human rights situation and Azerbaijan’s growing alliance with authoritarian regimes.
In response to this situation, some U.S. lawmakers have called on the administration to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its actions during COP29, urging a focus on human rights abuses and environmental concerns. Yet, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has rejected these calls, signaling that the country plans to use COP29 as a platform for greenwashing its tarnished image.
If the U.S. continues to overlook Azerbaijan’s human rights violations in exchange for energy cooperation, it risks undermining the credibility of both COP29 and broader international efforts to address climate change. Without addressing the impunity granted to petro-states like Azerbaijan, meaningful action on climate change will remain out of reach.