"Ex-Oil Executive Appointed to Spearhead COP29 Climate Summit in Azerbaijan"

Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan's ecology and natural resources minister and former oil executive, has been appointed to lead this year's U.N. climate talks, sparking concerns over the influence of the oil industry in climate negotiations. This follows the contentious presidency of Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, a state oil company leader, at COP28. Critics, including climate scientist Michael Mann, argue that oil executives should not preside over climate summits due to conflicts of interest. Azerbaijan, a country heavily reliant on oil and gas revenues, will host the talks with Babayev aiming to reduce the nation's climate pollution and increase renewable energy capacity.