Anger over private jet ‘hypocrisy’ Cop29: How private plane arrivals in Baku soar during climate summit as world leaders rush in to preach about global warming
The number of private jet arrivals at Baku international airport has doubled as world leaders fly in to preach about global warming at the Cop29 summit.
The UN climate conference, being held this year in the oil-rich capital Azerbaijan, has already sparked controversy over the country’s human rights record.
Data from tracking website Flight Radar now shows that 65 private jets arrived in Baku in the week leading up to Monday, The times has reported.
On Sunday and Monday alone, around 45 planes landed as the Cop29 summit got underway.
This is comparable to the 32 private jets that arrived at Baku airport in the same week last year.
Sir Keir arrives at Heydar Aliyev International Airport on an RAF government aircraft to attend the UNFCCC COP29 climate conference
A general view of the COP29 venue of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku (stock photo)
Participants talk while visiting an exhibition at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku
Delegates attending the climate conference by private jet have been accused of hypocrisy by environmentalists over the use of their private jet.
Denise Auclair from the Travel Smart Campaign said: ‘The number of private jet arrivals we are seeing at Cop29 puts the hypocrisy of using a private jet center stage while claiming to be fighting climate change, especially from an equity perspective.
‘An executive who takes one long private flight burns more CO₂ than several normal people in an entire year.’
However, the total number of private jets arriving in Baku is significantly lower than the 644 that arrived in Dubai for Cop28, producing 4,800 tonnes of CO₂.
Many world leaders have chosen not to attend this year, with President Biden, President Xi of China and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi all avoiding Cop29 despite their countries being among the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide.
Senior figures from the EU are also missing from what is feared to be yet another support group that achieves little or nothing in the way of concrete action.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are all staying at home.
Delegates arrive for the UNFCCC COP29 climate conference on November 11
Activists take part in a demonstration today at the COP29 UN climate summit
An electric taxi is parked in front of a terminal of Heydar Aliyev International Airport ahead of the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference on November 3
Sir Keir Starmer is one of a handful of prime ministers from Azerbaijan’s richest countries for the annual meeting, although the Taliban have sent a representative.
Sir Keir has set a target for Britain to reduce CO2 emissions by 81 percent compared to 1990 levels by 2035.
Countries will also grapple with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, which analysts say reflects a trend of climate skepticism in this year’s elections.
The next president of the US, the world’s second-biggest polluter, is expected to boost fossil fuels, scale back green incentives at home and – again – exclude America from the global Paris Agreement on tackling of climate change, which obliges countries to continue their efforts to combat climate change. warming up to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Azerbaijan’s choice to host the talks has been criticized for its human rights record, which includes shortcomings such as the prosecution of political opponents and the arrest of activists.