The ‘dark joke’ of having a climate summit in the land of fire

Azerbaijan is the land of fire, or so the Zoroastrian legend goes. Its supply of combustible fuel has long bound this story to Azerbaijan’s reality. One of its natural wonders is a “burning mountain,” Yanar Dagh, which blazes continuously from hydrocarbon gasses venting from inside the earth, The Nation writes.

With wealth derived from fossil fuel exports, Baku, the country’s capital city, has built gleaming glass towers overlooking the Caspian Sea. On the outskirts of Baku, oil rigs spread for miles along the hills, perpetually bobbing like dunking bird toys. In the western part of the country, crude oil is considered so potent that it is thought to have medicinal properties, and for a relatively modest price (around $20), one can bathe in a vat of it at special spas.

But COP29 in Baku has exposed a contradiction. A summit meant to lead the global fight against fossil fuel dependence is being held in a nation whose wealth and power are rooted in hydrocarbons. This is a symbol of the deep entrenchment of fossil fuels in global politics. As major nations and activists pull away from a conference they see as co-opted by petro-interests, trust in COP as a meaningful force for climate action dims. Moving forward, COP faces a dilemma as it tries to lead the charge against fossil fuels while warming its hands at its flames.