ONLY 55 days to the 12-day UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, some countries this early have shown they are “holding back” their positions until they know who sits in the White House.
Climate diplomacy observers say uncertainty over the US election outcome is stalking this November’s COP29 summit, which starts just six days after voters decide between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
The election lands awkwardly as governments try to build global consensus in coming months not just around climate but stronger protections for the environment and a treaty to address plastic pollution.
The 12-day Azerbaijan conference, which starts on Nov. 11, is expected to focus on finance, as trillions of dollars are required for countries to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening impacts of climate change.
Earlier on, the Philippines was selected to host the loss and damage fund board, which will bring the fund closer to providing financial help for countries hit the hardest by claimate change.
This country of 115 million, which averages 20 typhoons per year, has committed to reduce emissions by 75 percent by 2030, one of the most ambitious targets in Southeast Asia.
To accelerate its transition to a green economy, the country also aims to increase the share of renewable energy to 35 percent of the power generation mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.
We remember the declaration of the First World Climate Conference in 1979 called for the urgent development of a common strategy for a greater understanding of the climate system and a rational use of climate information, and proposed the establishment of the World Climate Program.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an opportunity to negotiate new measures, and review Parties’ progress against the overall goal of the UNFCCC to limit climate change.
Generally, each COP agrees a statement or a binding agreement which is publicly released at the end of the conference.
Government representatives worldwide have gathered nearly every year since 1995 at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties to advance work on negotiating multilateral agreements and to provide a way forward in the fight against the significant challenges of climate change.
The Baku conference will also be a key moment for countries to present their updated national climate action plans under the Paris agreement, which must limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and spur investment in the Sustainable Development Goals
