"Ex-Oil Executive Appointed to Spearhead 2024 Global Climate Summit in Azerbaijan"

Mukhtar Babayev, a former oil executive with extensive experience in Azerbaijan's national oil company, has been nominated to lead the COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan. Despite concerns over the influence of the oil industry on climate negotiations, his predecessor, Sultan al-Jaber, managed to secure agreements on transitioning away from fossil fuels at COP28. COP29 is expected to focus more on financial goals for climate action, but the appointment of another oil industry veteran has sparked criticism from climate activists who are calling for the exclusion of big polluters from the talks.