COP 29: "The entire event was a monument to the contradictions of modern climate policy."

"Picture this: COP29, the annual climate circus where the world’s leaders gather to wag fingers and wring hands over carbon emissions, is hosted in none other than Azerbaijan—a country whose economy runs on fossil fuels like a muscle car guzzling premium gas. ...
    "[Azerbejani president Ilham] Aliyev ... point[ed] out that [Europe's] energy 'security' conveniently overrides their green ambitions ... only meeting Europe’s insatiable demand for natural gas because, you know, someone has to keep the lights on over there. The subtext? 'We’re saving you from freezing, so maybe chill with the climate scolding.'
    "Notably missing from the conference were key world leaders, a snub that suggests even they couldn’t stomach the irony. Or maybe they were too busy figuring out how to reconcile their Net Zero pledges with their growing reliance on oil-rich nations like Azerbaijan. Either way, the hypocrisy runs both ways. ... 

    "The Western delegates who flew to Baku in private jets to wag their fingers about emissions are no less hypocritical. There they sat, nodding politely as Aliyev defended fossil fuels while quietly hoping he keeps shipping that sweet, sweet natural gas their way.  ... The entire event was a monument to the contradictions of modern climate policy. ...

     "Azerbaijan hosting COP29 is the perfect encapsulation of why no one takes these climate conferences seriously anymore. They’re not about saving the planet; they’re about playing politics, appeasing donors, and virtue signaling on a global stage. Aliyev’s speech was a reminder that behind all the lofty rhetoric is a steaming pile of contradictions."

~ Charles Rotter from his post 'Azerbaijan’s COP29 Speech: A Masterclass in Irony So Thick, It’s Flammable'