COP29: what you need to know about the annual global climate summit

2 weeks ago 26

As the world experiences month after month of record temperatures, and we move closer and closer to the global heating limit set out in the Paris Agreement, world leaders will gather from Monday, 11 November to Friday, 22 November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan – yet another country with fossil fuel interests – at the 29th annual climate negotiations.

What is COP29?

The annual United Nations Conference on Climate Change, referred to as ‘COP’ (an acronym for Conference of the Parties), has taken place in a different city every year since 1995. Ministers and Heads of States from governments all around the world attend along with civil society representatives from NGOs, businesses, faith groups, scientists, and other stakeholder groups such as Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Greenpeace will be present in a small group including campaigners along with policy and scientific experts, observing negotiations and making sure delegates are listening.

While the ultimate goal is global collaboration to fight climate change, each COP focuses on different issues and implementation tasks, with the host country setting the tone and direction. COP29 will be the “finance COP”, where agreement needs to be reached on securing a new climate finance goal, known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG).

People's Plenary at COP28 in Dubai. © Marie Jacquemin / Greenpeace

COP28, the most recent climate COP, was held last year in Dubai and holds the title for the largest attended, convening nearly 100,000 delegates and more than 150 Heads of State. After a flurry of negotiations over two weeks, despite lacking the words ‘phase out’, the final agreement did acknowledge the growing call for a transition away from fossil fuels.

But there still remains a lot to do to end the age of coal, oil and gas.

Why is COP29 important?

In the past year, the planet has experienced worsening climate impacts from hurricanes to heatwaves, droughts and floods. Extreme weather patterns are devastating communities, homes and livelihoods; global action has never been more necessary.

Fossil Fuel Phase Out Protest at COP 28 © Marie Jacquemin / Greenpeace in Dubai. © Marie Jacquemin / Greenpeace

Adding to the urgency, the first-ever Global Stocktake – a climate progress report delivered at COP28 – found global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by around 43 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035 to put us on track to a safer climate.

A recent UNEP Emissions Gap report and figures from the International Energy Agency also stressed we’ve fallen far behind in efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global heating to 1.5°C. Clearly, we need real, firm action at COP29.

At COP29, Greenpeace will be calling for:

A new Climate Finance Goal, the NCQG, that significantly increases public finance to developing countries and embeds the “Make Polluters Pay” principle.
Implementation of the COP28 agreement to transition away from fossil fuels, by outlining how countries’ upcoming 2030 and 2035 climate action plans, or their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), will include fossil fuel phase out plans and policies in alignment with 1.5°C.
Ensuring that offset and carbon market policies protect and restore carbon-dense ecosystems

Youth Delegation COP28 in Dubai. © Marie Jacquemin / Greenpeace

Trillions of dollars will be needed over the coming years for climate finance. At COP29, critical decisions will be made to address the soaring costs of not acting fast enough on climate.

And who should pay? Those with the most responsibility for causing the climate crisis – starting with the fossil fuel industry. It’s time that they were made to pay for the damage and destruction they cause.

There’s a lot of work to do as the climate crisis intensifies but the people power that has grown stronger every year and made their presence integral, will return even louder, stronger and more determined at COP29.