Organisers of the UN COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, faced controversy over attempts to block campaigners from using the domain name COP29.com to criticize fossil fuel companies. The domain was sold earlier this year to the activist group Global Witness by an Indian copper kitchenware company concerned about climate change.
The kitchenware company, based near New Delhi, had previously owned the domain, which coincidentally aligns with both the 29th UN climate summit and copper’s atomic number. The company’s marketing manager, citing concerns about worsening air pollution in India, sold the domain to Global Witness. Speaking anonymously, he noted, “The toxic pollution is affecting my organs, my health, my thinking.”
Although Azerbaijan reportedly outbid Global Witness for the domain, the group secured it, using it to demand reparations from fossil fuel companies for climate-related disasters. The site, however, has been blocked in Azerbaijan, with officials citing “COP29 policy rules.” Organisers have refrained from commenting on payment offers or the blocking of the website.
Inside the COP29 venue, activists have staged peaceful protests despite restrictions imposed by Azerbaijan’s dissent laws. Demonstrators formed a silent human chain during the summit’s “Day of Climate Action,” waving flags outside plenary halls.
While most protests in the official UN “blue zone” have occurred without incident, tensions flared when activists in the public “green zone” were forcibly removed during the first week of the summit. Authorities claimed the group had violated engagement guidelines but confirmed they were “immediately released without incident.”
COP29 organisers stated that protesters could express themselves safely within the bounds of UNFCCC codes and Azerbaijani law, which prohibit naming specific countries, individuals, or businesses.
The summit, hosted at Baku’s Olympic Stadium, saw continued demonstrations following the departure of world leaders after the initial days of the event.
