More than two dozen world leaders gathered this week for the COP29 climate summit held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where urgent discussions are underway to address the ever-deepening climate crisis. The summit, organized by the United Nations, is the largest event of the year dedicated to tackling global warming, and it has participants from across the globe sharing their experiences and strategies to combat climate change.
This year’s summit is marked by notable absences among some of the world’s most significant leaders. U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have opted out of the conference, leaving the representation to various officials from Biden's administration, including climate advisor John Podesta and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Their absence sparked some discussions on how U.S. climate policies might shift if the upcoming elections tilt back toward more fossil fuel-friendly leaders, like Donald Trump, who has historically downplayed the importance of climate action.
Meanwhile, the world has experienced extreme weather events, presumably fueled by climate change, reinforcing the leaders' urgency to act. Countries like Grenada, Antigua, and Barbuda shared dire narratives of their struggles with droughts and hurricanes, cautioning how, without significant international action, these scenes of devastation could spread worldwide.
For small island nations, the stakes are especially high. They argue they suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change, even though they are not the primary contributors to global emissions. Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell articulated the existential threat rising sea levels and extreme weather pose to his country, emphasizing the urgency for action, "It may be small island developing states today. It will be Spain tomorrow. It will be Florida the day after. It’s one planet." His sentiments echoed through the forum, with leaders calling for more substantial commitments from wealthier nations, which have long surpassed previous promises of support.
Despite the grim backdrop of environmental catastrophes, COP29 also features promises of progress, including discussions around the much-anticipated loss and damage fund introduced after experiences from previous years have showcased the need for urgent monetary responses after climate disasters. This fund aims to assist poorer nations devastated by climate-related disasters and is currently managed by both the United Nations and the World Bank. With around $720 million pledged to date, there are hopes to scale this funding rapidly as the need for immediate response grows.
This conference is particularly poignant because it marks the first time temperatures are expected to exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius increase above pre-industrial levels, officially crossing the threshold of what many scientists deem the breaking point for our planet. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, sounding alarms about the future, stated, “Humanity’s torching the planet and paying the price.” The anticipated discussions surrounding this milestone are expected to make significant waves as world leaders unpack the current state of global warming.
But the situation becomes more complicated as various nations argue over what constitutes fair financial contributions to climate action from wealthier countries. The divide is stark; developing nations seek approximately $1.3 trillion annually to mitigate climate impacts, whereas wealthier countries, like the U.S. and Canada, set their funding floor much lower at only $100 billion. This gap has raised tensions throughout the summit, making negotiations more heated as each side pushes their agendas.
Adding to the complexity of talks, developed nations are hesitant to make commitments without accountability from larger emitters, such as China and wealthy Gulf states. This negotiation dynamic, as referred to by Iskander Erzini Vernoit from the Imal Initiative for Climate and Development, encapsulates the problems facing global discussions on climate—a lack of trust and the burden of historical emissions weigh heavily on the conversations.
Meanwhile, one notable development has been the spotlight on the host nation, Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev remarked on his country’s focus on increasing gas production, which many activists and representatives deemed contradictory within the climate action discussions at COP29. While pushing for climate initiatives, Azerbaijan is simultaneously profiting from fossil fuels, leaving some participants frustrated at the mixed messaging.
Looking closely, several significant countries have opted to stay away from the negotiations. High profile absences include leaders like King Charles III of the UK and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, indicating possible disengagement from their climate obligations, which may be viewed as undermining the conference's authority. Their absence also raises questions about how seriously some nations take the urgency of the climate crisis.
When it boils down to the summit's effectiveness, experts express skepticism. Avinash Persaud from the Inter-American Development Bank commented on the negotiations as “chaotic,” yet indicative of how COP typically operates, accentuating the tedious back-and-forth typical of these gatherings. The real test will be when ministers take charge of the negotiations, forging the tough political deals necessary to produce actionable outcomes.
The second week of COP29 is expected to witness intense negotiations, especially as leaders from the G20 countries gather simultaneously to discuss their countries’ responses to climate change. The outcomes of these discussions stand to impact not just commitments but also public perceptions of climate action moving forward, leaving many waiting with bated breath for signals from influential economies.
With the backdrop of protests happening outside the venue, some voices demand accountability from polluters. The call for justice for those disproportionately affected by climate change highlights the moral imperative many nations feel to adapt and improve their environmental policies, aiming to hold corporate and state actors accountable for the role they play.
Yet, amid all this uncertainty, positive discussions around renewable energy and transitional projects also came up during the proceedings, with certain countries presenting their advancements and technology aimed at bolstering climate action. This reflects some tangible progress and potentially points to solutions amid the worrying climate forecasts.
Within all these narratives, one coherent theme stands out: urgency for action and funding, increased accountability, and the need for global solidarity. Whether COP29 will yield actionable agreements remains to be seen, but as participants leave Baku, they carry the stories of those vulnerable to the effects of climate change, embodying the hope for decisive action and substantive commitments from global leaders.
With the talks just entering their second half, many climate advocates hold on to the hope for breakthroughs—even as distractions, political absences, and contrasting priorities threaten to derail the mission the summit was intended to achieve. Time will tell if this gathering of nations can come together and forge the necessary alliances needed to foment meaningful time-sensitive change.
