Argentinian Government Under Milei Withdraws Negotiators from COP29 Discussion

November 14, 2024 TruthUSA

The self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist leader has called back his delegation from the global climate talks.

The libertarian government of Argentine President Javier Milei has decided to withdraw its negotiators from the COP29 talks.

Deputy Secretary of the Environment Ana Lamas from the national government confirmed on November 14 that Argentinian representatives had been summoned back to Buenos Aires.

The Milei government was contacted by The Epoch Times for additional comments but did not respond by the time of publication.

A post on the social media platform X from the climate change news site Carbon Brief mentioned that Argentina had 85 individuals registered in its delegation at the 2024 U.N. climate change conference (also known as COP29).

One of the major topics at the climate talks is a potential agreement to provide up to $1 trillion in yearly climate financing for developing nations, replacing the previous goal of $100 billion.

Milei

Milei, who identifies as a self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist, assumed office as Argentina’s president last year after defeating Sergio Massa, the economy minister for Alberto Fernández’s socialist government. He promised to address the country’s inflationary economy by dollarizing the peso and reducing government expenditure.

As part of an effort to downsize the government, Milei eliminated the Environment Ministry. In December 2023, he stated that Argentina would remain a part of the Paris Agreement on climate change, which is a legally binding international treaty aimed at limiting the increase in global temperatures.

He is scheduled to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla/X owner Elon Musk this week, and he has been working to strengthen ties with the United States since the election.

Contrary to COP29, the incoming Trump administration in the United States is likely to prioritize domestic energy production, including oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power, while simplifying licensing processes and removing market barriers for fossil fuels.

Trump has pledged to reduce electricity and natural gas prices through increased domestic production and by dismantling the Green New Deal, which he views as “socialist.”

SDGs

The libertarian government of Argentina has rejected “Agenda 2030.”

During his U.N. speech in September, Milei criticized the 2030 Agenda’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), a global initiative aimed at sustainable economic growth and environmental protection.

Some U.N. literature supporting SDGs calls for equitable reductions in production levels. Milei stated that the language used reflects the concept of “degrowth,” which focuses on shrinking economies to use fewer global resources.

While acknowledging the well-intentioned goals, Milei described it as a “supranational government program with a socialist bias.”

“If the 2030 agenda has failed, as even its advocates admit, we should question whether it was fundamentally flawed to begin with,” he remarked.

Milei emphasized that his country is currently undergoing significant changes.

“[Argentina] has chosen to embrace the principles of liberty,” he noted.

France

Many world leaders have opted out of this year’s summit.

U.S. President Joe Biden is not attending and will be represented by White House climate adviser and veteran Democratic Party strategist John Podesta.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has sent a representative, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is absent due to political developments in Brussels.

French climate minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher canceled her participation at COP29 on November 13 after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused France and Holland of “colonial rule” during a COP speech.

France and Azerbaijan have longstanding tensions, particularly because Paris has provided arms to Armenia amidst ongoing disputes over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Azerbaijan is rapidly “erasing” traces of the predominantly Christian ethnic Armenian community in the region.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed concerns about the impact of these statements on the vital climate objectives and the credibility of Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency in a post on X.

Ben Pile, a researcher who leads the Climate Debate UK campaign group, previously informed The Epoch Times that “fortunately, many parts of the world seem to be steering clear of COP29.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

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