Our planet, our COP - Stand for climate action

While the world is seeing more extreme weather as a result of climate change, the annual UN climate summit (COP29) will take place in November in Baku in Azerbaijan, a fossil fuel autocracy with a repressive regime that heavily relies on gas and oil exports.

⚠️ Live updates from Baku

• The Fossil of the Day Award goes to… the EU! Climate Action Network (CAN) proudly presented Wednesday's award at COP29 to the EU for not flashing the cash.
• Climate activists on Wednesday's Green Family Breakfast raised concerns many activists share: Civil society is being more and more excluded from making their voices heard and protesting against fossil fuels and for a switch from oil and gas to renewables.
• On Wednesday, two days before the official end of COP29 only one thing seems to be certain: we are risking a stalemate about the question of how to finance climate action and how to make polluters pay. There are still two days left to negotiate a deal building on the progress made last year in Dubai - and it would not come as a surprise if negotiators would have to spend some extra time in Baku...

We must protect these global climate negotiations. While polluters and their lobbyists pour in to roam the halls of the conference, civil society is shut out. Companies are greenwashing their questionable reputation, while citizens have no voice. Outdated rules allow autocratic petro-states to host the COP without repercussions.

And yet, these global negotiations are vital for a liveable planet today and tomorrow.

We have seen enough. We need to save our climate and to protect our climate summit.

1. No more COP climate summits in polluting countries that do not respect human rights

2. Make polluters pay - and use this to financially support emerging countries meet their climate targets

3. Kick out lobbyists for polluting industries - and let citizens in

How do we get there?

We will do our best in the European Parliament and at the COP29 venue in Azerbaijan - but we need you to be the voice outside. Together we can spread this message and call for change.

👉 Sign up now and get access to our tool kit, where you can create your own visuals and videos - or share the ones we made for you.

Why is the COP important?

Climate change is a global problem that we can only take on together. At COP21 in Paris in 2015, the world showed that it can come together and deliver. But now we need to continue. We already see the effects of climate change all over the world. The EU should play an important role as a self proclaimed climate champion.

We need to go back to a system where countries negotiate in good faith and stimulate each other to set higher climate targets. To help countries lower their emissions - and to cope with extreme weather.

How bad is Azerbaijan on human rights?

The autocratic regime of president Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan does not allow public criticism. It imprisons scientists and activists when they speak out. Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, a renowned economist and a leading critic of the state oil and gas industry, has been imprisoned by Azerbaijan and is currently under house arrest. Despite having a heart condition and urgently needing medical care abroad, he is barred from leaving the country.

This is a joint action by The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament and Tilt, the changemaking platform of the European Greens.