COP29 Summit Live Updates: COP29 to kick off in Baku today with focus on climate finance goals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the conference, and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav may also be absent, with Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh leading the 19-member delegation instead.

The Muslim Council of Elders is organising the second Faith Pavilion in the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP29), held in Baku, Azerbaijan. - ANI

Gujarat Minister of Finance, Energy and Petrochemicals Kanu bhai Desai along with ACS S J Haider and Jai Prakash Shivahare, MD GUVNL are going to represent the State government at COP29. - ANI

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof will not be attending the COP29 climate summit that starts Monday as he handles the aftermath of violent clashes between football fans in Amsterdam.

Joe Biden is not expected to attend COP29, nor will his successor Donald Trump, Reuters reported. 

During his last presidency, Trump withdrew the US from the Paris agreement, and he is likely to do so again. 

However, the delegation for the US at COP29 will be from the Biden White House, as Trump will not take office until January. 

The “lame duck” delegation can still participate in the negotiations, and though they will not be able to bind the US government to clear future financial commitments, they are unlikely to stand in the way of agreement by other countries, meaning that the core decisions expected to made at COP29 on finance can still go ahead.

• Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani President
• Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President-Designate
• Sultan Al Jaber, COP29 President
• Marina Silva, Brazil Environment Minister
• António Guterres, UN Secretary General
• Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados
• Ajay Banga, World Bank President
• Wopke Hoekstra, EU Climate Commissioner
• Liu Zhenmin, China’s Climate Spokesperson
• Ed Miliband, UK secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Sero
• Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the UK

• CHINA

China produces the most energy from climate-warming fossil fuels and also from renewable energy sources. It accounts for about 30% of the world’s annual carbon emissions, making China the biggest greenhouse gas polluter, according to a Reuters report.

• UNITED STATES

The world’s second largest emitter, and largest historic emitter, comes to COP29 following an election that will put Donald Trump back in power in 2025.

• EUROPEAN UNION

The 27-country EU has not yet offered its position on some of the most divisive issues for COP29.

• UNITED KINGDOM

Britain’s Labour Party government, elected in July, plans to emphasise its climate commitment at COP29, after Energy Minister Ed Miliband described Britain as being “back in the business of climate leadership”.

• THE TROIKA

Calling themselves “the troika,” the host countries of COP28, COP29 and COP30, last year said they were collaborating to ensure continuity in organising the annual U.N. climate talks.

• ‘BASIC’ COUNTRIES

As fast-developing and populous nations, Brazil, South Africa, India and China can have an outsized impact on the world’s ability to tackle climate change.

• AFRICAN GROUP OF NEGOTIATORS

African countries will be pushing at COP29 for more climate finance and getting the Paris Agreement’s Article 6 on carbon market rules into force by early next year.

• ALLIANCE OF SMALL ISLAND STATES

A powerful group of countries disproportionately affected by climate impacts, notably sea level rise, the AOSIS bloc is focused on securing trillions of dollars in climate financing and advancing global efforts to phase out fossil fuel use.

Frances Colan, Senior Director for International Climate Policy at the Center for American Progress, highlighted the conference’s importance following the re-election of Donald Trump in the U.S., who is anticipated to adopt policies favouring oil and gas expansion, PTI reported.

Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s Climate Change Envoy, reinforced the urgency for a “Finance COP” that prioritises financing without deepening debt burdens for nations already struggling to adapt to climate impacts, according to PTI.

“For Africa, it is important that the final goal agreed in Baku should not worsen our debt situation,” Mr. Mohamed said. “The Framework on Global Climate Resilience needs to translate into real actions that support agriculture, water, health, biodiversity, infrastructure, and human settlements.”

Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), emphasised that COP29 must go beyond promises, pushing developed nations to accelerate their paths to net zero and meet their financial commitments.

“The climate COPs are about raising ambition, enabling action, and, most importantly, holding everyone accountable. While COP28 resulted in many promises, it let developed countries off the hook. COP29 must be about accountability,” said Dr. Ghosh.

“The largest historical emitters must move faster and raise their ambition. Climate finance should be consistent, convenient, catalytic, and credible, and COP29 must ensure it delivers real resources and capacity to protect the most vulnerable,” he said.

India’s key priorities at the COP29 conference are likely to focus on ensuring accountability of developed nations on climate finance, strengthening resilience for vulnerable communities, and achieving an equitable energy transition, experts anticipate, PTI reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the conference, and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav may also be absent, with Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh leading the 19-member delegation instead, reported PTI.

As world leaders and climate negotiators converge on Baku for COP29, beginning Monday (November 11, 2024), India is set to bring renewed focus to the urgent need for climate finance, accountability, and protection for vulnerable communities, according to a PTI report.

Afghan Taliban officials will attend a major United Nations climate conference that starts next week, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, the first time they have attended since the former insurgents took power in 2021.

The COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku will be among the highest-profile multilateral events attended by Taliban administration officials since they took control in Kabul after 20 years of fighting NATO-backed forces.

Read more here.

The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2024 highlights a dire need for annual emission reductions of 5.5% and 9% until 2030 to keep warming below 2°C and 1.5°C, respectively. 

However, with emissions rising and promises unfulfilled, achieving these targets seems unlikely. Developed nations, particularly the U.S. under Donald Trump, may continue to sideline their climate obligations, raising concerns as the upcoming COP29 focuses on a new financing goal to replace the unmet $100 billion target. 

Meanwhile, current national climate pledges (NDCs) are set to lead the world toward a disastrous 2.5-2.9°C rise by 2100, further diminishing hope of escaping the global emissions crisis.

Read more here.