Head of U.N. Climate Summit in Azerbaijan Caught on Tape Pushing Oil & Gas Deals

[Uncle Joe]

The U.N. climate summit known as COP29 is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, where negotiators are trying to make progress on reducing emissions and preventing the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Many activists, however, have criticized the decision to hold the talks in an authoritarian petrostate. The host country is also facing accusations that it is using the climate talks for business, after the head of the talks, Elnur Soltanov, was caught in a secret recording promoting oil and gas deals. That sting was organized by the group Global Witness, which put forward a fake investor. "In exchange for just the promise of sponsorship money, that got us to the heart of the COP29," says Lela Stanley, an investigator at Global Witness. "We need the U.N. to ban petro interests from sitting at the table, from influencing the COP."

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.

[Easterncedar]

1. I'm shocked

[Kid Berwyn]

2. Game really is rigged for Big Oil

The watchdogs today actually help the wolves walk off with the sheep.