Our verdict: COP29 agreement short of what’s needed
COPPress release
Climate experts who attended the UN climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan have said they fell well short of what was needed by people living on the front line of the climate crisis.
Practical Action staff from Nepal, Bangladesh and the UK attended the COP 29 talks to showcase examples of how people are adapting to new weather patterns, which could be taken to scale.
Despite making some progress on some issues, overall the delegation felt the final agreement has let the people most vulnerable to climate change down.
Colin McQuistan, thematic lead for climate resilience at Practical Action said:
“The annual UN climate change summits present a key opportunity to shape global climate goals. Adequate funding is essential to help communities adapt, and to fund the losses and damages that people are already suffering.
“However, despite the fact greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and losses and damages as a result of climate disasters are increasing, global leaders were still not able to invest enough into finding and scaling up solutions which can enable people to adapt.”
Developing countries estimated that they would need at least US$1.3 trillion annually (based on their existing climate plans). But the new climate finance target of US$300 billion agreed in Baku falls far short of this figure.
It also failed to include the quality assurances needed to ensure this is used to fund the activities and reach the communities where it is needed the most.
Tamanna Rahman, thematic lead on climate resilience for Practical Action in Bangladesh said:
“COP29 was the moment to take stock of the level of climate finance provided so far and establish a new critical and more ambitious target.
“It fell well short of this. By not investing enough in tangible solutions to the climate emergency we are condemning millions of people who have escaped poverty to return to it.
“We are also going to see greater urban migration as extreme weather forces people to give up farming, which will cause humanity even greater problems in future, if it is not managed properly.
“And sadly efforts to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels were ignored as were meaningful discussions on food and agriculture, which are also desperately needed.
“This leaves a lot that’s simply been pushed to next years’ COP30 in Brazil. We believe it’s high time to turn talk into action.”
But there’s still hope
There was some more positive news on carbon credits, clean energy, and methane reduction as 30 countries pledged to set targets in their new national climate plans.
Three governments, the UK, Brazil, and Mexico showed leadership and launched their national climate plans (known as Nationally Determined Contributions) ahead of the February deadline.
Practical Action is also committed to working hard to scale up programmes of work which are effective in helping people adapt their lives.
Work creating livelihoods for 100,000 young people in rural areas of Kenya, access to climate finance for indigenous groups in the Amazon and sustainable farming in remote areas of Nepal are all examples which could help millions of people, if they are supported with finance and the correct approach to delivery.
To talk to people who know exactly how people on the front line will be affected and the solutions that can help, contact Andrew Heath: