(UN Climate Change/Chiara Wirth)
COP29 has so far been a damp debate. The impasse in financing negotiations has left many participants at this year's United Nations climate change conference feeling frustrated.
Mohamed Addo, director and founder of climate and energy think tank PowerShift Africa, said in a statement: “There is no clarity on the funding targets, the quality of the funding and how it will be made available to vulnerable countries. Not,” he said.
“The cloud hanging over these talks is the unknown surrounding the election of Donald Trump. The rich world cannot hide behind it.”
There was an air of uncertainty in Baku, Azerbaijan, as participants hoped for further progress at what was called a financing COP. African countries are pushing for an ambitious target of $1.3 trillion a year that rich countries, which are also heavily polluted, must provide developing countries with new joint quantitative targets or long-term climate finance starting next year. There is.
“Our message at COP29 is clear: climate finance is not just a negotiation issue, it is a moral responsibility,” said Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network International.
The funds will be used to phase out fossil fuels, transition to renewable energy, build resilience to climate change, and address related loss and damage, according to one report. is estimated to cost between $447 billion and $894 billion annually by 2030. Statement from the Climate Action Network.
“Communities on the front lines of climate disaster are paying the price for a crisis they did not cause, with devastating losses in lives and livelihoods. Now is not the time for half-measures or empty promises. What we need now is bold action and public funding,” Essop said.
“The resources are there. What is missing is the political will. Let's convene this COP at a moment when we can transform our commitments into real change towards a just and equitable future.”
The second week of COP negotiations begins on Monday, with participants hoping that solid fiscal commitments will be achieved. Fossil fuel lobbyists have been criticized for their active presence in negotiations. Last week, members of the lobby pledged to fund clean cooking efforts, and activists protested at events in response.
An analysis of “Kick Out the Big Polluters'' found that about 1,700 fossil fuel lobbyists participated in the negotiations. Protesters on Monday called for pay for polluters, a just transition and justice for those who will suffer most from climate change.
“A rapid and fair phase-out of fossil fuels can only be achieved if financed,” Alex Rafalowicz, director of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Fossil Fuels, said in a statement.
“This COP needs to send a signal that polluters will pay and that those who work hard to phase out fossil fuels will be rewarded.”
Countries and their adaptation plans will also be discussed this week. These are strategic processes that help countries identify and address medium- and long-term priorities for adapting to climate change. Plans must be submitted by next year.
“There is a clear financial gap that we need to close,” U.N. climate change chief Simon Stiel said on Monday.
“Adaptation costs are rising for everyone, especially developing countries. They could rise to $340 billion a year by 2030 and reach $565 billion a year by 2050.”
It's also easy to get “a bit paralyzed” by all these numbers, especially at this fiscally focused COP, he said.
“But we must never forget: these numbers are the difference between safety for billions of people and a life-destroying disaster.” IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes] The Working Group II report found that almost half of humanity lives in climate change vulnerability hotspots, where they are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts. ”
In his opening plenary speech, Steele also called for quick decisions to be made and for countries to stop hanging around waiting for others to make the necessary bold decisions.
“We can't lose sight of the forest just because we're fighting over each tree. We can't afford to lose sight of the forest just because we're fighting over each tree. We can't afford to lose sight of the forest,” he said. “We cannot allow the spread of 'me-firstism' to be widespread,” he said.
“We can only get the job done if parties are prepared to move forward in parallel and move closer to common ground. Blunts, brinkmanship, and pre-arranged strategies save precious time. It wastes money and depletes the goodwill needed for an ambitious package.”
