COP29 climate summit kicks off in Baku, Azerbaijan

The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change began on Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, amid calls for parties to push for an agreement right from the start.

“Now it is the time to show that global cooperation is not down for the count. So I urge you all, let us rise together,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell at the opening of COP29.

“In the past few years, we’ve taken some historic steps forward. We cannot leave Baku without a substantial outcome. Appreciating the importance of this moment, parties must act accordingly,” he added.

This year’s conference is being held amid expectations and concerns over the re-election of Donald Trump as US President, who has pledged to roll back the United States’ carbon-cutting commitments. Trump’s return looms over the discussions, with fears that an imminent US departure from the landmark Paris Agreement to limit global warming could result in less ambition at the negotiating table, according to sources in Baku.

The summit’s negotiating priorities will also be competing for governments' resources and attention, against economic concerns, the war in Ukraine, and last week’s US re-election of Donald Trump. The conference in Baku will take place until November 22.

In addition to these challenges, this year’s conference is being held in a year that reports say will be the hottest year on record. It will be the first year that global temperatures are more than 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than in preindustrial times, signalling that the world is dangerously close to the benchmark scientists have set to prevent the worst effects of climate change, including severe heatwaves, floods, and droughts.

The Asia-Pacific region is said to be more vulnerable to these effects than some other parts of the world.

Bangladesh, one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, is actively participating in COP29 to raise awareness of the risks it faces due to climate change. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will lead Bangladesh's delegation and is expected to address multiple forums during the summit. Yunus, who left Dhaka for Baku on a four-day state visit, will also meet with international dignitaries to discuss climate action, according to Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.

During the opening session, Stiell reiterated the urgency of addressing the climate crisis through the UNFCCC process, which remains the primary platform for holding nations accountable and finding collective solutions. He stressed the need for an ambitious global climate finance goal, warning that failing to act would have severe consequences for all nations, particularly the world's most vulnerable.

Speaking at the opening session of COP29, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell also said, “This UNFCCC process is the only place we have to address the rampant climate crisis, and to credibly hold each other to account to act on it.”

“We must agree on a new global climate finance goal,” Stiell said.

“If at least two-thirds of the world's nations cannot afford to cut emissions quickly, then every nation will pay a brutal price,” he added.

“If nations can’t build resilience into supply chains, the entire global economy will be brought to its knees. No country is immune,” he warned

“So, let’s dispense with the idea that climate finance is charity. An ambitious new climate finance goal is entirely in the self-interest of every single nation, including the largest and wealthiest,” Stiell continued.

But it’s not enough to just agree on a goal, he said, adding, “We must work harder to reform the global financial system, giving countries the fiscal space they so desperately need.”

“And here in Baku, we must get international carbon markets up and running by finalizing Article 6,” Stiell said.

“We mustn’t let 1.5 slip out of reach. And even as temperatures rise, the implementation of our agreements must claw them back,” he emphasised.

Clean energy and infrastructure investment is projected to reach two trillion dollars in 2024, almost twice that of fossil fuels, he said.

“We must agree on adaptation targets. You can't manage what you don't measure. And we need to know if we're on a pathway to increasing resilience,” Stiell stressed.

“We must continue to improve the new mechanisms for financial and technical support on loss and damage,” he added.

To support countries in creating and communicating their plans, the UNFCCC will launch a Climate Plan Campaign.

It will mobilise action from all stakeholders and align with the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the incoming Brazilian COP Presidency, he said.

“In parallel, we'll restart Climate Weeks from 2025, aligning them more closely with our process and the outcomes it must deliver,” Stiell concluded, outlining the future course of action.

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