Below is an update provided by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice on Mon 18 Nov 2024. It provides a brief overview of what has happened in Baku during the first week of COP29. For more in-depth information click on the links in the article.
COP29 is entering it’s second week and is due to finish this Friday the 22nd November.
Progress in COP29 thus far has been mixed. On Friday a group of influential climate policy experts, including former President Mary Robinson, have stated that “It is now clear that the COP is no longer fit for purpose. We need a shift from negotiation to implementation,” They are looking for stricter controls of where these conferences take place with host countries needing to demonstrate clear support for the COP process and swift climate action. In what is a regular feature at COP there is also huge criticism of the powerful fossil fuel lobbyists which are present at COP and are clearly evident at one. The former US Vice President Al Gore and other leading NGOs have vented their frustration at the conference.
This COP has been labelled the finance COP, with a history of under-promising as well as under-delivering on the pledged amounts, there is a lot of pressure on this COP to deliver on its climate finance promise. Innovative sources of funding have been suggested as a means to bridge the gap. A solidarity levy on high carbon emitting activities, e.g. cryptocurrencies and frequent fliers, could raise billions of dollars for climate action while redirecting fossil fuel subsidies could release even more funding. Plans are already in place to include a tax on the ultra wealthy at COP30 next year in Brazil, with the implication that the fair distribution of wealth and climate finance will remain on the agenda for some time to come.
In a time when war is constantly on the minds and in the news of our global society, peace was also on the agenda for COP29. However, “while the impact of climate change on conflict was being stressed, there was less appetite to discuss the impact of conflict on climate change.” Considering the magnitude of these impacts this is an obvious abdication of responsibility and not a path which will result in a more peaceful and safer climate and society.
Stop Climate Chaos webinar – Nov 19, 2024 01:00 PM
As the COP negotiations in Azerbaijan heat up, please join this webinar to hear from those most impacted by climate change and the latest from the negotiations. Our partners, the Jesuit Centre for Ecology and Development in Malawi, who are attending COP, will be speaking at this event. We’ll also be looking at the Irish elections and how the climate movement in Ireland can keep climate justice high on the agenda with candidates at the doors. REGISTER HERE
You must be logged in to post a comment.