COP29 Climate Change Conference in Baku

The COP, an International United Nations Initiative

At the 1992 Rio Summit, the United Nations adopted a Framework Convention to combat climate change (UNFCCC). It federates 197 parties, including all the countries in the world. Every year since 1995, a "Conference Of Parties" (COP) is organized in a different region of the world. The last COP was held in Dubai in 2023, and the next one will take place in Belém, Brazil in 2025.

The COP brings together government delegates from all over the world. Thousands of representatives from cities, companies,

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are private players operating at national and internati...

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, and citizen associations are also meeting on the fringes of this event.

The Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan

COP29 will be held in Baku, in the Eastern Caucasus, an extensive mountainous region that stretches from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan is a country with a population of 10 million inhabitants, and a major oil and gas producer, which particularly interests the European Union (EU). The EU is actively seeking to diversify its natural gas imports since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Baku is surprising in that it is the lowest-lying capital in the world, at -28 meters below sea level.

What are the main topics to be covered at COP29, in view of climate change mitigation and adaptation?

Topic 1: Financing Climate Change Actions

Developing countries, sometimes called the "Global South" have fewer financial resources than industrialized Western countries (and China). Moreover, they are not responsible for the build-up of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere that began in the middle of the 19th century with the Industrial Revolution. A decision was made in 2009 to create a "green climate fund" to help them deploy projects and actions for climate change, such as developing renewable energies and fighting against deforestation.

The first wave of funding was set at one hundred billion dollars per year for the period 2020-2025, a figure reached in 2022. Difficult negotiations have been held to fix the next step, and COP29 should approve a new aim for the period up to 2030. This financial aid from industrialized countries will be a far cry from the actual figure required, that some UN (United Nations) experts estimate at 2,400 billion dollars per year.

Topic 2: National Pledges

Since the Paris Agreement signed in 2015 at COP21, all countries have to state their objectives and resources for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. These are called "nationally-determined contributions" and have to be reviewed every five years. COP29 will call on them to submit an ambitious revision of their plans a year from now.

Are current objectives enough to keep average global warming under the 1.5°C threshold? Far from it. As the contributions stand, the global temperature is likely to increase somewhere between 2.5°C to 2.9°C compared with the mid-19th century, and the 1.5°C increase is likely to be reached as early as 2030-2035. Since the 19th century the temperature has already increased by 1.2°C.

What Were the Outcomes of Previous COP?

The outcomes of the COP are often disappointing, more often subtle debates on words rather than major announcements. COP28 did not mention an "exit" from fossil fuels, but rather talked of a "transition away" from fossil fuels. It spoke of "accelerating action" to achieve Net Zero in 2050. That said, a little progress is made each time, and we have never backtracked.

How Can I Get Involved in Climate Change Action as a High School Student?

If you go to Baku, you can probably get free entry to the Baku Stadium by signing up for a pass to the "Green Zone". But the best option is to go and see the many different associations and NGO working to combat climate change. Many meetings and conferences are held in the "Green Zone" to put pressure on government delegates.

You can follow the latest news on the COP on the official website or on the sites of the NGO involved.