Baku 2024 / COP29

➡️ COP29 - Baku, Azerbaijan

The 29th UN Climate Change Conference will take place 11 - 22 November 2024 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Representatives from 197 countries, the European Union, as well as key players from the G7, G20, NGOs and youth and activist organisations will attend the conference. There will be numerous roundtables and forums bringing together heads of state and government, lobbyists, and climate activists. The focus of the talks will be on key issues in global climate policy particularly regarding finance and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

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It is widely agreed that progress towards reaching global climate goals is being hindered by a lack of climate financing. It is hoped the outcome of COP29 will be a climate finance target to support developing countries in adapting to climate change and the final operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, which supports countries in dealing with climate-related damage.

Another key theme is the renewable energy transition with carbon emission reduction, grid integration, and the promotion of clean energy firmly on the agenda. Azerbaijan plans to showcase its own emission reduction initiatives and efforts to expand renewable energy across the country. The host country has committed to increasing its renewable energy capacity to 30% by 2030, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2050, and expanding their wind, solar, hydropower and green hydrogen sectors.

Country representatives are expected to present their national climate targets and adaptation plans and discuss how their efforts will work towards keeping global warming below 1.5°C. Other sectors up for discussion include technology, agriculture, water, food security, urbanisation, and tourism.

How can I Stay Informed about the Proceedings and Outcomes of COP29?

Staying informed is easy with Better World Info. We have collated an extensive platform for COP29 which is free, reliable, and provides important critical analysis.

Discover our selection of handpicked news sources, including video news. We recommend following our excellent Twitter Lists for up to the minute developments from climate experts, journalists, NGOs, politicians, and activists.

Find over 3,000 links to previous UN Climate Conferences, the recent Africa Climate Summit, a guide to the work of the United Nations, key IPCC and UNEP reports, and comprehensive overviews of the SDGs, the Climate Crisis, and Sustainability.  

Our collection of news portals from Azerbaijan will keep you up to date on events happening in the country, and for developments in politics and the current human rights situation in the country look no further.

COP29 - A Critical Perspective

Many countries have previously announced ambitious climate targets, but with dates set far in the future and few short-term commitments there has been a lack of pressing action. Many nations and companies have promised net zero emissions by 2050, but data from UNEP shows that we are far off track to meeting the 1.5°C goal set out in the Paris Agreement. Current trends put us on track for a warming of 2.7°C by the end of the century – dangerously above target!

At COP21 in 2015, negotiations led to a pledge by developed countries to provide $100 billion annually in climate aid to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change and reduce their emissions. In 2020, only $83 billion was delivered - well below the target. This figure rose to $115 billion in 2022, however by this time it was already decided that the adaptation fund needed to be doubled, an act which vulnerable countries are still waiting for. The missing of targets and slow implementation of new funding has led to great mistrust, especially from those suffering the worst effects of climate change, who also happen to be the lowest contributors to global warming.

Historically, many energy companies have used the COP as a platform for greenwashing. Large oil and gas corporations present their "green" projects or technologies at the conferences, despite continuing to heavily invest in the fossil fuel industry. In 2022, Global Witness reported the attendance of over 600 lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry at COP27 in Egypt - more than the delegates of the ten countries most affected by climate change combined. At COP28, the number of lobbyists was 2,456.

This year's president, Azerbaijani Environment Minister Mukhtar Babayev, is a former long-standing employee of the state-owned oil company Socar. Fossil fuel industry interests are disproportionately represented in the negotiations before they have even begun – significantly diluting the urgency of real climate action.

A further criticism of the COP conferences is the lack of binding nature of the agreements. The Paris Agreement for example, led to all countries committing to limiting global warming, however, with no enforceable sanctions for countries that fail to meet their committed climate targets, little progress has been made. Many countries have announced ambitious climate plans, but many of them have failed to meet them. A 2021 report by the Climate Action Tracker showed that only a dozen countries are on track to actually meet their Paris climate targets.

Ironically, the COP conferences are responsible for significant CO₂ emissions. COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, is estimated to have emitted 102,500 tons of CO₂ - more than double the previous COP25. The travel of attendee's accounts for the majority of these emissions.

The COP conferences are also criticised for allowing the interests of industrialised countries to dominate negotiations. While the U.S, the EU, and China are among the largest emitters of carbon, countries in the global South suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change. These countries have been calling for a loss and damage fund for years to receive compensation for the damage caused by climate change – a repayment of the climate debt. This fund was set up at COP27, but with no clear funding commitments, its effectiveness remains yet to be seen.

Azerbaijan - A Critical Perspective

Azerbaijan is a major natural gas and oil producer. The country is heavily dependent on fossil fuel production - the third oil country in a row to host the COP. This is in clear contradiction to the goals of the climate conference, which aim to promote the global transition to renewable energy.

The country plans on increasing its fossil fuel production a third by 2030 as their economy becomes increasingly reliant on natural gas. Since the start of the Ukraine war and the loss of Russian gas to Europe, Azerbaijan has stepped up to become a major exporter of gas to the EU. By 2027, 20 billion cubic meters of gas are to be supplied to Europe annually.

In the last decade, Azerbaijan's share of renewable energy has actually fallen by 2%. Climate experts and activists are understandably concerned about the creditability of Azerbaijan as a host and the integrity of its environmental ambitions. In a brazen act of greenwashing, COP29 is a prime opportunity for the nation to present itself as a pioneer in climate action. Many of the governments renewable investments have close ties to the authoritarian state. As such, environmentally friendly initiatives serve more to improve the country's international image than to make real progress on climate.

Critics have warned about the crackdown on dissents, independent groups, activists, and the media in the build-up to the talks. Internationally criticised for its human rights record, the government has been accused of suppressing opposition parties, restricting press freedom, and lacking democracy.

In the recent 2024 elections, opposition parties actually refused to put forward candidates leading to the victory of Aliyev with over 90% of the vote. Hundreds of political activists were imprisoned and reports of torture and mistreatment followed. Azerbaijan ranks 151 out of 180 in the international ranking of press freedom.

Dubbed the peace COP, this year's summit is hoped to help ease global tensions as well as focusing on the prevention of climate-fuelled conflict. The idea of a ‘COP truce’ enforcing a global ceasefire could be implemented for a duration of the talks. Positioned in neighbouring regions of both the Ukraine war and the Gaza war, Baku could be influential in advancing the peace negotiations.

That being said, Azerbaijan is a conflict-prone region itself. Longstanding tensions with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region led to 100,000 ethnic Armenian residents fleeing in fear of ethnic cleansing. Azerbaijan will likely try to use its role as host to improve its geopolitical standing rather than focusing on core climate issues.

Threatened by increasing droughts, shrinking Caspian Sea levels, and desertification, it is in Azerbaijan's interest to address the causes of climate change. The government so far has no concrete adaptation strategies and instead is focusing heavily on energy projects. Their strategy for climate protection is more economically motivated than one of implementing national policy.

COP29 – For a Better World

In order to ensure long-term climate and environmental protection, strict measures must be implemented from international to local level. Commitment to limiting global warming to 1.5 °C must become more ambitious and legally binding. Countries must set clear timetables for phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energies.

The energy sector is one of the largest sources of emissions. It must be transformed with the support of investments and subsidies in green technologies such as solar, wind, and hydrogen power. The exchange of technologies and knowledge between industrialised countries and the global South should be promoted in order to give all countries the best chance to transition.

Wealthy countries must significantly increase their financial commitments to developing countries to support adaptation measures and the management of climate-related damage. So far, just 0.2% of the requested $215 billion has been made available.

Binding mechanisms to review and enforce national climate targets are essential. There is currently a lack of clear, global review and sanction mechanisms to ensure that states meet their emissions targets. A transparent and regular report on progress would be an important step to strengthen the credibility and effectiveness of the Paris Agreement.

Greater emphasis must be placed on protecting ecosystems and biodiversity. The restoration and conservation of forests, wetlands, and marine ecosystems are essential to preserve natural CO₂ sinks and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The role of civil society and indigenous groups should be prioritised, as not only are they are often on the frontlines of climate change, but they also hold valuable knowledge about local ecosystems and nature. In 2023, 196 environmental defenders were killed worldwide - the voices of activists must be amplified not silenced. The protection of environmentalists, journalists, and political activists should be guaranteed, as well as freedom of speech and the right to protest.

We believe that climate education is key to promoting a healthier and more sustainable planet. The role of education at the climate summit is currently lacking. The introduction of programmes that raise awareness of climate change and sustainable action must be expanded globally to encourage young people to actively engage in climate protection.

Long-term climate and environmental protection is only possible through a combination of clear political commitments, sufficient funding, technological innovations, and educational measures.

Author: Maximilian Stark 26.09.24, translated and edited by Rachael Mellor 23.10.24 licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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