Too many empty promises, too few concrete measures – the UN climate conferences have been criticized for years. The 11th edition will now take place in the Azerbaijani capital Baku from 22 to 2024 November 29. The host city itself is symbolic of the current challenges: As an oil metropolis on the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, but at the same time strives for a change to renewable energies
The main topic of this year's summit is climate finance. A new global financing target is to be adopted to help developing countries cope with the consequences of climate change. And the clock is ticking ever louder. After all, COP29 marks one of the last opportunities to initiate a turnaround in global climate policy. After all, a joint effort is needed to halve CO2 emissions by 2023, as set out in the Paris Climate Agreement, and thus limit global warming to a maximum of 1,5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. But the conditions for this are poor. After all, several heads of state and government have canceled their participation in the conference this year, including US President Biden, French President Macron and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Can the format actually make a difference?
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Statements at the start of COP29
The COP29 was opened on November 11 by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. In his speech, he stressed the urgency of climate protection measures, but at the same time defended the importance of oil and gas for economic development. This caused controversy right at the start of the conference.
In his speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged more speed in climate protection: "We are in the final countdown to limit global warming to 1,5 degrees," said Guterres. "And time is not on our side." He called on the international community to finally move from announcements to concrete actions - and held the industrialized countries responsible in particular. "This is an avoidable injustice," said Guterres. "The rich are causing the problem, the poorest are paying the highest price." With this, Guterres already addressed the main goal of COP29 - an agreement on a new, collective and quantified goal for climate financing (New Collective Quantified Goal, NCQG) from 2025. This goal is intended to replace the current annual target of 2009 billion US dollars, which has existed since 100 and has been criticized as inadequate.
It's all about money
COP29 is rightly nicknamed the "Climate Finance COP". After all, the main focus of the conference is on mobilising financial resources for climate protection and adaptation measures in emerging and developing countries. COP29 is faced with the crucial question of whether the agreement reached in Paris in 2015 still stands: industrialised countries commit to supporting developing countries financially so that they can Climate Action can strengthen.
After all, without outside help, they are often unable to achieve the necessary technologies to reduce CO2 emissions. These countries are also particularly affected by the consequences of climate change such as droughts, floods or other extreme weather conditions. However, the financial resources from the global fund to date are far from sufficient. Experts estimate that around 2030 trillion US dollars in climate financing will be required by 5,9 for even a portion of these countries to achieve their climate goals. The negotiations at COP29 therefore aim to close the gap between the funds needed and those actually provided. There is also intense debate about how additional funds can be mobilized from the private sector and how financing mechanisms can be improved.
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A question of justice
A fairer distribution of existing resources is also urgently needed. After all, the current Adaptation Index of Bread for the World significant injustices in the distribution of international financial resources for climate adaptation. The index analyses the allocation of funds in relation to the climate risks faced by countries in the Global South. The alarming result: 90 percent of the countries examined receive less support than they would be entitled to if the funds were distributed fairly.
The rich industrialized countries have long since overdrawn their climate account and the poorest of the poor are paying the price. But the question of who should pay for financing climate protection measures and dealing with climate damage in poorer countries remains a major point of contention. Investment in the following measures is urgently needed:
- Improving early warning systems for extreme weather events
- development of climate-resilient infrastructure
- promoting sustainable agricultural practices
- Protecting Coastal Areas from Rising Sea Levels
The biggest construction sites of COP29
In addition to the major financing issue and the struggle to improve the Climate justice, COP29 will be dominated by other important thematic priorities:
- Renewable energy: The massive expansion of renewable energies and the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels play a key role. New initiatives are to energy storage, green energy generation and Hydrogen Increased emission reductions in industry and Traffic through more energy-efficient production methods and means of transport.
- methane reduction: A report of the UN Environmental Programme shows that so far only a fraction of governments and companies are responding to methane leaks, despite binding commitments. In addition, oil and gas companies are failing to set strict targets for reducing methane emissions. Many of the plans presented by the private sector do not cover all sources of emissions and the success of the strategies for achieving the targets is questionable. Methane reduction in countries with large meat and dairy companies also remains inadequate. Most national strategies do not contain binding targets for emission reductions or for reducing livestock numbers.
- Food security: A new CGIAR report shows that by 2030, around 55,47 billion US dollars will be spent on climate-related measures in the agriculture in Africa. In addition, there is an annual need for 153 billion US dollars to strengthen the resilience of 511 million smallholder farmers against the effects of climate change worldwide. However, only around 2 billion US dollars are currently being made available. In addition, the COP29 countries are faced with the need to do more to combat food waste. According to the NGO WRAP only 12% of participating countries are committed to reducing food waste.
- Sea level rise: The rising Sea level requires high adaptation costs, for example 10 billion US dollars for the three most affected Pacific atoll nations alone - that is about 20 times their annual gross domestic product. Financial aid is therefore needed here.
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Controversies at the World Climate Conference
In addition to the important issues that the global community wants to address together at COP29, the event is dominated by three central points of contention and criticism:
- Criticism of the role of the fossil fuel industry: The strong presence of fossil fuel industry lobbyists at COP29 has sparked fierce criticism. Over 1.700 representatives of this industry are said to have been granted access to the conference. This raises concerns that they could exert direct or indirect influence on the negotiations and thus be a reason for the possible dilution of ambitious climate targets.
- Controversy over Azerbaijan’s hosting role: The choice of Azerbaijan as host country has also sparked controversy. Critics point to the country's heavy dependence on fossil fuels and raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest. There are also allegations that the government is using COP29 to campaign against environmental activists and take action against political opponents.
- Dispute over COP reform: A group of leading climate policy experts, including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, called for a fundamental reorientation of the annual meetings. They argued for a streamlining of the complex program and suggested holding the summits more frequently. In addition, developing countries should be given more influence. In order to uphold the goals of the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to introduce strict admission criteria that exclude countries that do not commit to eliminating fossil fuels and to oblige host countries to demonstrate their ambitions in terms of climate protection.
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Promising solutions
At COP29, a variety of solutions were put forward to address the challenges defined in advance:
Increased engagement of the private sector: In order to mobilise companies for climate protection, the conference discussed that sustainability and decarbonisation are not only ecologically necessary, but also economically can be beneficial by increasing cost efficiency through decarbonisation and unlocking new value creation potential.
Technological solutions: At COP29, the need to strengthen existing clean technologies to scale faster and promote new innovations. Topics discussed included: progress in renewable energy and energy storage, developments in hydrogen technology, innovative approaches to CO2 storage and digital solutions for energy efficiency and emissions management. It was highlighted that the necessary technologies to achieve net zero emissions are largely available, but the challenge lies in accelerating their deployment and scaling.
Nature-based measures: The meaning of forests as natural carbon stores was highlighted at COP29 and the link between climate protection and conservation of Biodiversity as a decisive factor. It was emphasized that intact ecosystems can not only store carbon, but also increase resilience to climate impacts. The importance indigenous knowledge and the need to include indigenous communities in climate action were addressed. The formation of the "Troika of Indigenous Peoples" by representatives from Brazil, Australia and the Pacific underlined the demand for greater participation of indigenous peoples in the negotiations.
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progress and successes
Despite the numerous challenges, some positive developments have already been recorded in the first days of COP29:
Emissions trading: An early success was the adoption of a mechanism for centralised carbon trading on the first day of the summit. This step paves the way for the long-awaited global Kohlenstoffmarkt, provided for in Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement. The system allows countries and companies to trade, under UN supervision, carbon credits generated through measures such as reforestation or rainforest protection.
Renewable energy initiatives: The COP29 Presidency launched three important energy initiatives. These aim to accelerate the development and expansion of renewable energies and to create the necessary infrastructure. The Hydrogen Initiative in particular is intended to serve as a catalyst for the global market for clean hydrogen.
National climate targets: Several countries presented more ambitious national climate targets (NDCs) during the conference:
- The United Kingdom announced it would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2035% by 81 compared to 1990 levels.
- Brazil committed to reducing its emissions by 2035% to 59% by 67 compared to 2005.
- The United Arab Emirates set a goal to reduce its emissions by 2035% by 47 compared to 2019.
These announcements can be seen as positive signals. However, critics note that they are not yet sufficient to achieve the 1,5°C target.
Interim assessment of COP29: A balancing act between innovation and stagnation
It's now or never - but the urgency of tackling the climate crisis does not seem to have really reached everyone's minds yet. COP29 in Baku is an example of the challenges and contradictions of global climate policy. On the one hand, important progress has been made and impetus has been given for the future. On the other hand, the negotiations highlight the rifts that still exist between the interests of industrialized and developing countries, especially in climate finance.
There are also controversial issues such as the strong presence of the fossil fuel industry or the inadequate involvement of countries and population groups that are particularly affected. While the urgency of action is increasing, the impression remains that political power games and economic self-interest are slowing down the necessary global effort. COP29 thus shows once again that progress is possible, but without a radical change in the cooperation and commitment of all those involved, humanity risks losing the race against time in the fight against climate change.
