Private jet arrivals at Baku international airport have doubled as world leaders fly in to preach about global warming during the Cop29 summit.
The UN climate conference, to be held this year in Azerbaijan’s oil-rich capital, has already sparked controversy over the country’s human rights record.
Data from tracking website Flight Radar now shows that 65 private planes arrived in Baku in the week leading up to Monday. The times has reported.
Some 45 planes landed on Sunday and Monday alone when the Cop29 summit began.
This compares to 32 private planes that arrived at Baku airport during the same week last year.
Sir Keir arrives at Heydar Aliyev International Airport on a government aircraft operated by the RAF to attend the UNFCCC COP29 Climate Conference
A general view of the United Nations climate change conference COP29 in Baku (file photo)
Participants chat while visiting an exhibition at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku
Environmental activists have accused delegates who attended the climate conference on private planes of hypocrisy over their use of private planes.
Denise Auclair, of the Travel Smart Campaign, said: “The number of private jet arrivals we are seeing at Cop29 highlights the hypocrisy of using a private jet while trying to fight climate change, especially from the perspective of equity.
“An executive taking a long-haul private flight will burn more CO₂ than several normal people in an entire year.”
However, the total number of private planes arriving in Baku is considerably less 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 and President Biden, President Xi of China and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have all rejected Cop29 despite their countries being some of the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide.
Senior EU officials are also not present at what is feared will be yet another gathering that will achieve little or nothing in terms of concrete action.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are staying home.
Delegates arrive at the UNFCCC COP29 Climate Conference on November 11
Activists participate in a demonstration today at the UN Climate Summit COP29
An electric taxi parked outside a terminal at Heydar Aliyev International Airport ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 on November 3.
Sir Keir Starmer is one of the only prime ministers from Azerbaijan’s wealthier nations to attend the annual meeting, although the Taliban have sent a representative.
Sir Keir is setting a target for the UK to reduce its carbon emissions by 81 per cent by 2035, compared to 1990 levels.
Countries will also have to deal with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, in what analysts say is a trend of climate skepticism in this year’s elections.
The next president of the United States, the world’s second-biggest polluter, is expected to boost fossil fuels, reduce green incentives domestically and pull the United States (again) from the global Paris Agreement to address climate change, which compromises countries to continue efforts to stop it. heating to 1.5°C.
Azerbaijan’s choice to host the talks has been criticized for its human rights record, with failings including the persecution of political opponents and the detention of activists.