The context of COP29 starting in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 11 is important but not hopeless.
United Nations Climate report published just days before the Conference confirmed that the global average temperature rise is approaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, which would plunge the world into a catastrophic rise 2 6-3.1°C this century, unless major cuts are made immediately. to greenhouse gas emissions.
Inaction will leads to Extreme weather events are increasingly frequent and dangerous.
The United Nations is calling for urgent collective action, led by the G20 group of developed economies and the largest emitters, to implement the greenhouse gas emissions cuts needed to limit emissions. prevent global warming.
What is the United Nations Climate Change Conference?
Transboundary climate crisis Solving this problem requires unprecedented international cooperation, with the United Nations and its head, the Secretary-General, at the heart of the multilateral effort. .
A vegetable farmer in Nepal irrigates his crops with a solar-powered pump.
The United Nations Annual Climate Change Conference (also known in UN jargon, as COP or Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), is The world’s main multilateral decision-making forum on climate change, bringing together almost every country. on Earth.
These are unique opportunities for the world to come together to agree on how to tackle the climate crisis, limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change. climate change and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
COPs are intended to be inclusive and, along with world leaders and government representatives, many people from all aspects of society, from business leaders and climate scientists to Indigenous peoples and youth alike, engage to share insights and best practices to strengthen climate action that benefits everyone.
What is the focus of COP29?
The top priority for negotiators in Baku will be to agree on a new climate finance target, one that ensures every country has the means to take stronger climate action, cutting inflation. greenhouse gas emissions and build resilient communities.
An electric car is charged in Scotland in England.
The aim of the conference is to help unlock the trillions of dollars that developing countries need to reduce harmful carbon emissions, adapt to climate change and cope with the loss and damage it causes. cause.
Please pay attention to the continuation of discussions held at the United Nations Future Summit earlier this year on reform of the international financial structure. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the current system as “completely unfit for purpose” and ill-equipped to deal with today’s challenges: many poor countries are facing Unsustainable debt levels make it impossible for them to invest in social protection and health. let alone measures to bring about a transition to a low-carbon economy.
What will happen in two weeks?
As always, there will be a packed schedule of talks, speeches, press conferences, events and panel discussions at the conference site, divided into Green Zones – overseen and opened by the COP29 Presidency open to the public – and the Green Zone is managed by the UN.
UN Secretary General António Guterres speaks at COP28 to be held in Dubai in 2023.
This is where important negotiations take place, as representatives of the world’s nations try to reach an agreement at the end of the event. A deal is usually reached but not without drama, with last-minute disagreements pushing negotiations beyond the official deadline.
Why is COP important?
The importance of the COP lies in their convening power: the decisions taken at each of these bodies may not go as far as some might hope, in solving the climate crisis, but they was launched based on consensus, uniting countries around the world within the international framework. agreements set standards and promote action in key areas.
Low-lying islands like the Maldives are especially vulnerable to the ravages of climate change.
In 2015, at COP21 in Paris, one landmark climate agreement reached in which countries agreed to reduce global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees. the Paris Agreement operates on a five-year cycle with increasingly ambitious climate action by countries. The next updated National Climate Action Plan – called Contributions are determined by the countrys, or NDC – scheduled for completion by 2025. The process has resulted in incremental but important improvements in terms of emissions reduction and measures to promote the adoption of renewable energy sources .
Each year, negotiators build on progress made at the previous year’s COP, strengthen aspirations and commitments, and push for new agreements, based on the latest scientific findings on climate and the role of human activity during the crisis.
What happens next?
Wind turbines located along the coastal highway in Yancheng, China.
Beyond the conference walls, there are many positive signs that the clean energy transition is accelerating and is already bringing huge benefits in terms of job creation and boosting the economies pursuing it.
Renewable energy is entering the energy system at an unprecedented rate, and electricity from new wind and solar power is now cheaper in most places than electricity from fossil fuels.
A future powered by renewable energy is now inevitable. Those who take decisive action and invest in clean technology today will reap the greatest rewards in the years to come.
Even before COP29 ends, delegates will finalize the details of their national climate improvement plans, which among other goals will focus on transitioning away from fossil fuels and keeping The world is on track to increase global temperatures by no more than 1.5 degrees. temperature.
