We didn’t do enough in Glasgow in 2021. We haven’t done enough since in Sharm El-Sheikh, Dubai, or in Baku this year. The UK and the entire rich world are fossil fuel economies as much as anywhere—historically and currently. But at least in 2021 I could call the Prime Minister a w*nker.

I met so many professionals and activists at COP29 who were unwilling to publicly criticize the government of Azerbaijan while in the country for fear of reprisals. Speaking truth to power is a fundamental human right but also a vital necessity if we’re to come close to addressing the climate and broader sustainability emergency. Political freedom should be the minimum for hosting COP. And that goes for the rich, supposedly liberal world too, that continues to suppress climate activism by manipulating the law.

All countries must look in the mirror of their political freedoms and fossil fuel dependency.

The world is a fossil fuel economy

UK, US, and European emissions historically have been vast—and currently rich economies drive much of the global fossil fuel production and demand. We are in no position to shame any economy that depends more directly on fossil fuels—and we must support a positive global transition where those countries are able to leapfrog the need for the same emissions. To reach a new sustainable system that works for the environment, people, and economies. Systems that work far better than fossil fuel alternatives. We all need to transition—which might not appear fair, but given the vast interconnected benefits of sustainability, positive outcomes for all are possible.

It’s not only outsourced emissions in rich countries either. In the US, oil and gas production has boomed under Biden’s presidency and Trump’s re-election will give the industry an even greener light to dive into fossil energy. And despite welcome positive ambition at COP29, and the cancelling of new coal projects, the UK is not rolling back North Sea oil and gas exploration to the extent required.

We can’t exclude countries from COP—hosting or participating—due to reliance on fossil fuels. However, there is a far more fundamental reason why COP locations are often unsuitable.

The climate and sustainability emergency needs us to challenge the status quo fundamentally. The freedom to do so must be a minimum for hosting COP

When the very questioning of power—fundamentally liberal and required to address the climate and sustainability emergency—is not possible it sets a terrible foundation for talks that must inherently go against the status quo. And that goes far beyond Azerbaijan.

But to focus on this year for a moment, the threats to freedom at COP29 included the BBC reporting on the Azerbaijan government preemptively arresting climate activists.

COP28 in the UAE last year, and COP27 in Egypt before that, produced similar examples. And Turkey is trying to displace Australia as the host for COP31 in 2026: we’re not heading in the most positive direction when it comes to political freedom surrounding the COP process.

At the COP venue itself illiberalism was in action. Direct contacts reported Russia barring Ukrainian delegates entry to their Pavilion (COP speak for a large conference booth) for their event “Russia’s Contribution to Strengthening Food Security at Global Level”. Ignore the problematic title—I do not recall hearing about such events at previous COPs, although I’m sure there has been numerous incidences including climate activists being barred entry, not only delegates from countries you’ve invaded.

This report from Heinrich Boll covers the authoritarianism preceding COP29 including pre-trial detentions, historic crackdowns on protest, and the country’s decades of democratic decline.

But again, the rich world cannot mount a high horse regarding political freedom and climate change.

Protest is being squashed globally, not only in dictatorships

Fossil fuel firms have been lobbying for, even drafting legislation, in the US to restrict and punish climate protesters heavily. The UK is mirroring this trend, with recent sentences for climate protesters more than twice as high for the instigators of violent riots. There is little sign from the new Labour government of a change in approach from the previous conservative government.

These stories make an impact, especially when jail terms are meted out. However, the UN’s research shows that they go directly against public sentiment. The People’s Climate Vote study also found that 72% of people globally want to move from fossil fuels to clean energy, and a majority say the same in 9 of the 10 biggest oil-producing countries.

See more in my HFS Research report on unmasking the “greenlash”.

The world should look in the mirror: to its fossil fuel dependency and its commitment to speaking truth to power

The whole world must be involved—and benefit from—a sustainable transition. That outcome is severely hampered by the suppression of direct climate activism and the freedom of even professional criticism of a host country. COP hosts should meet a minimum standard of political freedoms.