Baku: During its participation at COP29 in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, the UAE, host of COP28, aims to present a renewed vision focused on accelerating global climate action to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP29) will be held from November 11 to 22.
On Sunday, at the two-day coordination meetings of the G77 and China, Hana Alhashimi, Chief Negotiator for COP28 and the UAE, and Omar Al Braiki, Deputy Chief Negotiator of COP28 and the UAE delivered opening interventions, where they thanked the group for its commitment to addressing the pressing challenges of climate change and ensuring that outcomes at COP28 addressed the needs of developing countries in line with science and equity.
The UAE is committed to work with the G77 and China to support the COP29 Presidency, to build on the historic UAE Consensus and deliver ambitious outcomes in Azerbaijan.
The UAE’s participation in COP29 builds on its efforts that culminated in COP28, where the historic ‘UAE Consensus’ was announced. This participation provides a strong boost to enhancing collective ambitions and conveying the ideas and demands of relevant parties to enable a new phase of climate action that contributes to building more effective global resilience.
In line with the UAE’s efforts to push the international community toward increased climate finance, especially to support the Global South, developing countries, and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts in adapting to climate change, the ‘Global Climate Finance Framework’ holds a central position on the COP29 negotiation table.
The UAE’s support for Azerbaijan continues since the announcement of Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29, with the UAE contributing to Baku’s leadership in efforts to strengthen cooperation and collective action towards building a more optimistic and resilient climate future.
During its participation in COP29, the UAE will showcase its pioneering journey toward sustainability and climate neutrality through an interactive national pavilion. The pavilion will highlight the UAE’s significant efforts in achieving sustainable development and its innovative strategies aimed at balancing economic growth with environmental preservation, as well as its work in enhancing international cooperation to tackle the impacts of climate change.
COP28, hosted by the UAE last year, succeeded in establishing a shared global approach to setting climate priorities through the UAE Consensus and the climate action agenda. This contributed to engaging diverse voices from around the world to lead a new, inclusive model for addressing climate issues, reflecting a fresh vision for unifying efforts to build global resilience and ensure a sustainable future.
Agenda
According to the UN, a top priority for negotiators in Baku will be agreeing on a new climate finance goal, one that ensures every country has the means to take much stronger climate action, slash greenhouse gas emissions and build resilient communities. The aim is for the conference to help unlock the trillions of dollars that developing countries need in order to mitigate harmful carbon emissions, adapt to climate change and cope with the loss and damage it has caused.
As ever, there will be a packed schedule of negotiations, speeches, press conferences, events and panel discussions at the conference site, divided into a Green Zone – which is overseen by the COP29 Presidency and open to the public – and a Blue Zone managed by the UN.
In 2015, at COP21 in Paris, a landmark climate agreement was reached in which countries agreed to reduce global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees. The Paris Agreement works on a five- year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action by countries. The next updated national climate action plans - known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs - are due in 2025. This process has led to incremental but important improvements, in terms of reduced emissions and measures to promote the adoption of renewable energy sources.
Each year, negotiators build on progress made at the previous year’s COP, strengthening aspirations and commitments, and pushing for new agreements, based on the latest scientific findings on the climate, and the role of human activity in the crisis.
The COP29 Presidency stresses the importance of operationalising the Loss and Damage Fund to support vulnerable communities, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It calls for enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in line with 1.5°C targets and urges the submission of NDCs by 2025.
On adaptation, the Presidency calls for all countries to have National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) by 2025 and emphasises the need for scaling up adaptation finance. In addition, COP29 encourages global financial institutions and the private sector to increase climate finance and foster investment in green innovation.
Blue and Green Zones
COP29 has officially released its comprehensive programming for both the Blue and Green Zones, offering a glimpse into the diverse range of events, discussions, and exhibitions that will shape the global climate agenda.
The programming covers both the Blue Zone, where the formal negotiations and decision-making take place, and the Green Zone – a space open to the public that features a variety of exhibitions, workshops, and cultural events related to climate change. The programming for both zones include a diverse range of topics, such as climate finance, adaptation, mitigation, technology, and climate finance.
Visitors in the Green Zone will be able to experience and participate in panels, workshops, keynote speeches, and fireside chats, also aligning with each thematic day. The COP29 official partners will use the opportunity in the Green Zone to inspire climate conversation and facilitate action amongst stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
