BAKU, August 21 — Big speeches, glittering delegations, endless promises: COP29 in Baku was sold as a historic turning point that would put Azerbaijan on a “green path.” Nine months later, the question writes itself: what is left besides glossy posters and selfies with world leaders?
The answer is simple — oil and gas. A country that promised the world an energy transition still lives off petrodollars. Wind farms and solar plants remain more in presentations than in reality, while the actual “green energy” sector looks like a prop for foreign audiences rather than a tool of domestic change.
The paradox is stark. Azerbaijan tried to persuade the international community at COP29 that it could be a “regional climate hub.” In reality, COP29 turned into a giant PR stage for the ruling elite, not a launchpad for reform.
Jobs? Nowhere to be seen.
A just energy transition? Forget it.
Infrastructure modernization? Left in the speeches.
The country’s oil dependence has only deepened, while talk of a “green future” feels more like diplomatic marketing than economic policy. Citizens who hoped COP29 would bring real change — transparency, climate innovation, clean energy jobs — are left watching the same old script: oil rules, climate stays in statistics, promises pile up.
COP29 was not a springboard. It was a backdrop. Baku showcased a glittering facade to the world, but left its citizens staring at the same old oil barrel disguised as the future. That is the most honest legacy of this so-called ‘climate century.’
