Azerbaijan will put pollution, water shortages and the need to help poorer countries get their hands on clean technology top of the agenda when it hosts Cop29 later this year, The National has been told.
Taking place in Baku in November, the government wants to send a signal of peace to the region after an exchange of olive branches with Armenia broke a stalemate on staging the talks.
An oil and gas exporter, Azerbaijan believes the success of the Cop28 talks in the UAE shows it makes sense to have fossil-fuel exporters inside the tent, one of its most senior diplomats said.
Azerbaijan will take over the Cop presidency from the Emirates in November, when thousands of government officials, delegates and ministers meet for the 12-day summit.
Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador in London, said Cop29 could “go beyond” the world’s main 1.5°C target and into wider environmental issues such as water shortages, which affect Central Asia and the Middle East.
In an interview with The National sketching out Azerbaijan’s plans for its year in the spotlight, he said:
- The shrinking Caspian Sea is among the regional hazards Azerbaijan wants to give a higher profile
- While finance for the developing world will be one focus, giving it access to key technology is a higher priority
- The talks could emphasise that conflicts such as the Israel-Gaza and Ukraine wars have an environmental cost
- The summit hosts plan to draw on the experience of previous climate talks such as Cop26 in Britain
- Azerbaijan will continue to export oil and gas even as it looks to shift towards green energy with the help of investment from the UAE’s Masdar.
Climate goals
The Cop28 talks in Dubai ended with a compromise agreement that the world should “transition away from fossil fuels”.
Alongside deals on expanding low-carbon energy, it is hoped the pledges of Cop28 will keep hopes alive of curbing global warming to 1.5°C. Mr Suleymanov called it perhaps the "most notable milestone Cop" of recent years.
A key question passed on to Azerbaijan is how to pay for what was agreed in the UAE.
The world will agree to a new financial pledge to replace a promised $100 billion for developing countries, which was delayed by several years.
However, Mr Suleymanov believes the Baku summit can be more than a “finance Cop” that bridges the gap to Cop30 in Brazil.
He said: “There will probably be some focus on the financing issues but I think more than financing what we need to look at is technology transfer,” in which poorer countries are given access to state-of-the-art clean tech.
“Technology transfer is even more important because it enables developing nations to be more self-sufficient, more advanced,” he added. “If we could make some breakthroughs on technology transfer, that would be a very important milestone contribution.
“You can’t say, ‘I will not give you technology but I want you not to do certain things’. That’s not how it works.”
Also of great interest to Azerbaijan is tackling pollution left over from Soviet heavy industry and preventing water shortages linked to dwindling supplies from the Caspian Sea.
The virtual disappearance of the Aral Sea, a once-thriving fishing lake replaced by a bleak desert, offers the region a stark warning of what can happen when water is mismanaged. Azerbaijan wants to raise the profile of these issues at Cop29.
“It’s not just about carbon emissions, it’s about the environment as a whole,” said Mr Suleymanov, a former ambassador in Washington.
“If we could focus on going beyond 1.5°C and look at the environment as a whole, I think we could have some progress.”
Peace signal
It took months to find a host for Cop29, with politics obstructing Eastern Europe’s turn to select a venue.
With Russia vetoing an EU host, Azerbaijan and Armenia were potentially acceptable to Moscow but their decades-long conflict prevented them from backing each other.
However, after Azerbaijan’s military captured a breakaway Armenian enclave, in December the two countries committed to a historic peace process – with Baku jointly agreed on as Cop29 host in a sign of goodwill.
Azerbaijan, which borders Iran, Turkey and Russia and is often described as an East-West crossroads, plans to make this push for peace a theme of Cop29.
The agreement to hold Cop29 in Baku “shows that there’s a possibility for lasting peace in the region”, Mr Suleymanov said.
He said the talks could put the spotlight on how “mitigation of conflict and lasting peace is actually very good for the environment”.
“If you don’t shoot, if you don’t fly your fighter jets, if you don’t move your tanks, if you don’t disturb settlements, what happens is the damage to the environment is less,” the ambassador said.
The dream for Azerbaijan would be for a historic meeting with Armenian leadership to take place during the summit, he said.
“What we both [Azerbaijan and Armenia] have shown is that there are issues that are more important than our disagreements, that we can agree on the fundamental issue, which is important for the whole of humanity.”
Year ahead
As the UAE knows, Azerbaijan is sure to face scrutiny as it prepares to host Cop29.
In an early bout of bad publicity, Azerbaijan faced criticism when an all-male list emerged of Cop29 committee members. Aides then said the list was not final and 12 women are now on board.
Baku was an early boom town for oil and Azerbaijan produced more of it than the US in 1901. It remains a major fossil fuel exporter today, with the EU signing a deal to buy more gas after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Azerbaijan’s take is that “energy is not an enemy”, that it will keep producing oil and gas while it is needed, while also trying to “significantly increase” its power generation from solar and wind, Mr Suleymanov said.
He said investment by UAE renewable energy company Masdar, which built a solar plant in Azerbaijan, and other major players such as BP showed the country’s green plans were attracting interest even from fossil fuel exporters.
“In a way, what the UAE has shown is that it’s actually a very positive development to have a fossil fuel-producing country leading the conversation,” he said.
“More than anybody else, perhaps, fossil fuel producers understand that it’s a finite resource.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
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Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
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Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Company%20profile
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'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Name: Colm McLoughlin
Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
