2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference

The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP29, will be the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference. COP29 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11 to 22 November, 2024. Mukhtar Babayev will preside COP29, while Samir Nuriyev heads the Organising Committee.

Background

Azerbaijan signed the Paris Agreement—an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—on April 22, 2016. It was ratified on January 9, 2017, and entered into force on February 8, 2017, roughly a month later.

In 2018, oikos Baku—a student-led NGO focused on sustainability and leadership—organized a model conference called COP23.5. This event was a simulation of the real UNFCCC processes, serving as an extended version of the well-known Model UN, with a focus on climate negotiations. The goal of COP23.5 was to train young climate leaders in Azerbaijan, equipping them with the skills to engage in global climate discussions. Over 30 delegates participated, representing various countries in negotiations aimed at addressing climate challenges and formulating sustainable solutions for future action.

This initiative marked a significant step in raising climate awareness and fostering leadership among young Azerbaijanis, reinforcing the country's commitment to international climate goals.

In December 2023, Azerbaijan was announced as the host of the conference. In January 2024, Mukhtar Babayev was appointed as COP29 president.

At the Bonn Climate Change Conference in June 2024, progress was made on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and adaptation indicators for COP29. However, limited progress was achieved on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, with unresolved issues surrounding carbon credit systems and emission avoidance. The groundwork for implementing Article 6 was laid, with COP29 lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev emphasizing its importance for the upcoming negotiations in Baku. UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell stressed the need for further work to address these issues before COP29.

In July 2024, Azerbaijan introduced the Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF) in Baku, seeking $1 billion in annual contributions from fossil fuel-producing countries and companies. The fund will invest in renewable energy and support climate projects in developing countries, with half of its resources aimed at meeting members' NDCs for the 1.5 degree Celsius target. Twenty percent of revenues will go to a Rapid Response Funding Facility (2R2F) for disaster support. Profits will be reinvested, excluding profit-taking by private investors or governments.

COP29 Organizing Committee

The Organising Committee for COP29 was established by an order of the President of Azerbaijan on January 13, 2024. The committee's composition was subsequently expanded on January 19 and February 22, 2024. Chaired by Samir Nuriyev, Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, the committee comprises 56 members, including ministers, members of the National Assembly, and other heads of state authorities.

COP29 Presidency

The Presidency of COP29 is headed by Mukhtar Babayev, who is currently serving as Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, Babayev previously worked as the SOCAR’s Vice President for ecology. Other members of the COP29 Presidency Team include Yalchin Rafiyev as the lead negotiator; as Chief Executive Officer; and Narmin Jarchalova as the Chair of the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company and Chief Operating Officer. Nigar Arpadarai is the Climate Change High-Level Champion, and Leyla Hasanova is the Youth Climate Champion.

Objectives of the conference

COP29 aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C, emphasizing the urgent need for investment in climate action. The approach involves boosting ambition through national plans and transparency while driving action with effective financing to reduce emissions and address climate impacts.

The COP29 Presidency stresses the importance of operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund to support vulnerable communities, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It calls for enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in line with 1.5°C targets and urges the submission of NDCs by 2025, with a focus on phasing out fossil fuels, increasing renewable energy, and addressing non-CO2 emissions such as methane. On adaptation, the Presidency calls for all countries to have National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) by 2025 and emphasizes the need for scaling up adaptation finance. In addition, COP29 encourages global financial institutions and the private sector to increase climate finance and foster investment in green innovation. The summit aims to provide platforms to mobilize business participation and enhance transparency in investment decisions to support climate action.

Energy transition initiatives

According to the US government's International Trade Administration, oil and gas production comprise half of Azerbaijan's GDP and 92.5% of its export revenue in 2022. However, the country is transitioning to renewable energy and has outlined significant plans to expand wind and solar power. A new interconnector is planned to transport this low-carbon energy to Eastern Europe, passing beneath the Black Sea to link with Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.

Azerbaijan has set ambitious targets, including a 35% greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2030 and 40% by 2050. Energy and agriculture are key sectors where efforts are being concentrated, with an emphasis on increasing the use of renewable energy and eco-friendly technologies. The cooperation with the European Union has supported Azerbaijan's initiatives to align its policies with EU standards, particularly in energy efficiency.

Criticism

The organizing committee originally consisted of 28 men. After criticism voiced by Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and others, another two men and eleven women were added to the panel.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced that she would not attend COP29 in Baku, citing the involvement of the Azerbaijani government in the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023.

See also

* 2024 in climate change
* Climate change in Azerbaijan

References

External links

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United Nations
2024 in international relations
2024 in the environment
Events in Baku
United Nations climate change conferences
2024 in Azerbaijan