Azerbaijan allegedly promoting a "greenwashing" strategy at COP29, according to Armenian non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
In the lead-up to the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference, commencing on November 11 in Baku, concerns have arisen over Azerbaijan's human rights and environmental records. Armenian environmental organizations have issued a statement, urging participants to address these issues during the conference.
The statement, issued by Ecolur, a Yerevan-based non-governmental organization, and supported by over 50 other Armenian entities, accuses the Azerbaijani government of employing COP29 to construct a "greenwashing" narrative, designed to conceal alleged rights abuses and environmental shortcomings.
The Armenian groups specifically accuse Azerbaijan of engaging in "mass deforestation" on territories currently occupied by Azerbaijani forces, claiming such activities are devastating ecosystems via road construction and landmine planting. These actions reportedly restrict the movement of nearby Armenian residents and deny them access to water.
The statement also raises concerns about humanitarian law violations, ethnic cleansing, and the destruction of Armenian historical and cultural heritage in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijani officials have denied allegations of rights violations against Karabakh Armenians, citing various United Nations Security Council resolutions that endorse Baku's sovereignty over the Karabakh enclave.
It is unlikely that many participants will discuss non-environmental topics publicly during COP29 due to a hosting agreement that potentially enables the Azerbaijani government to legally retaliate against criticism of government policies. The Armenian NGOs criticized the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for selecting Baku as a host city, as they did not feel secure in attending the conference given the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani tensions.
The intersection of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict with COP29 has drawn significant scrutiny and controversy, raising concerns over environmental rights violations, greenwashing, and the broader political backdrop. The controversies surrounding Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 reflect broader concerns about the role of fossil fuel-dependent countries in global climate governance and the exclusion of indigenous communities from climate policy. International advocacy groups continue to call for genuine climate action, the release of detained activists, and meaningful inclusion of civil society and indigenous voices in climate policy.
- The Armenian NGOs have accused the Azerbaijani government of using the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku to construct a "greenwashing" narrative, concealing alleged rights abuses and environmental shortcomings, particularly in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
- The Armenian environmental organizations have raised concerns about the Azerbaijani government's mass deforestation on occupied territories, alleging it is devastating ecosystems through road construction and landmine planting, which reportedly restrict the movement of nearby Armenian residents and deny them access to water.
- The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict intersects with COP29, drawing significant scrutiny and controversy, and raising concerns over environmental rights violations, greenwashing, and the broader political backdrop.
- International advocacy groups continue to call for genuine climate action, the release of detained activists, and meaningful inclusion of civil society and indigenous voices in climate policy, as they believe these issues are crucial in the ongoing COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku.
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