This is the first of a regular update from COP29. The last two days have given us high-profile media displays as world leaders gathered to set the tone for the next two weeks. Here are two quick observations on the opening session.
The UK provided a welcome highlight at the start of COP29
While too many leaders have stayed away this time, the UK has chosen to show its cards ahead of the start of tricky negotiations between states. Kier Starmer arrived in Baku to announce a UK pledge of an 81% cut in emissions by 2035.1 This is a positive note at such an early stage of proceedings. It is a sufficiently significant commitment to cause others to sit up and take note. In my article last week, I urged that the UK government demonstrate strong political leadership and pledge at least an 81% cut in emissions. So far, so good. Now the UK must also lead on negotiations on a New Collective Quantified Goal for climate finance, and seek to ensure that oil and gas companies contribute to compensation for loss and damage to communities affected by climate impacts.2
The President of Azerbaijan struck a discordant note
The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, reacted to Azerbaijan being described as a ‘petro-state’. He hit out at the hypocrisy of the ‘fake news’ media of the nation that, in recent years, has become the largest oil and gas producer in the world; the United States. He also described oil, gas, sun and wind as ‘gifts from God’ insisting that the market needs them all. In doing so makes light of the scientific evidence concerning the urgent situation that we face, and he closes his ears to civil society voices across developing, newly industrialised and developed countries alike. President Aliyev’s message will have set the tone for some countries that will likely seek to hide behind anticipated US intransigence under a new President. This discordant note risks undermining the whole tenor of the opening speech of Mukhtar Babayev, the President of COP29, who stated that “we are on a road to ruin” and therefore the people of every continent “are waiting for us to show leadership and they cannot afford the cost of delay”. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, gets my award for ‘fossil of the day’.
Today, COP gets down to work as delegations meet in numerous technical committees. Which narrative will prevail? Will President Ilham Aliyev’s praise of the markets, win through, or COP President, Mukhtar Babayev’s warning that COP29 is a test of the state of multilateralism in our world today? Sign up to our social media platforms (below) to get updates as COP29 progresses.
And finally …
The UK is a part of the global economy in which we each play a small part. While our government must take measures at home, everything that you and I buy has a carbon footprint, including food and goods produced overseas. That is why COP29 matters to each of us, as well of course, to those living in parts of the world that are already severely impacted by climate change.
Check out our Social Media pages for great short videos (reels) that remind us why COP29 matters.