There are just four months to go for the crucial UN Climate Change Conference, UNFCCC COP 29, that could determine whether climate change can be mitigated, slowed down or even halted.
Scheduled to be held from November 11-22 in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, the conference is expected to be attended by thousands of delegates, looking to build on the progress achieved at COP 28 last year.
Their key aim will be to avoid overshooting the temperature target of 1.5° Celsius of global warming over pre-industrial levels. But the window of opportunity is closing fast with temperature records being broken every month. The priority is to deliver deep, rapid and sustained emission reductions now to keep temperatures under control and to stay below the 1.5°C mark, while leaving no one behind.
There is also increasing focus on how to pay for this, as developing countries are bearing the brunt of climate change and lack the financial resources to mitigate its extreme effects. Climate finance for developing countries could help them cut greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the effects of extreme weather.
Developing countries claim that the rich countries that have done most to cause the climate crisis are shirking their responsibilities to provide assistance to the poorest. They want an agreement that will lead to trillions of dollars flowing to the global south each year – some of it from overseas aid and from international development banks, but much of it in the form of investment from the private sector,.
The COP 29 Presidency’s plan is twofold: to “enhance ambition” to ensure all parties commit to ambitious national plans and transparency; and to “enable action”, by focussing on the critical role of finance in turning ambition into action and thereby reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.
This includes tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency by 2030, accelerating and substantially reducing by 2030 non-carbon-dioxide emissions globally, particularly methane emissions, and accelerating the phase-down of unabated coal power.
At the preparatory meetings this year, the COP29 Presidency called on the World Bank, IMF, and other multilateral financial institutions to review their levels of capitalisation, climate-allocation ratios, relevant financial policies, and accessibility procedures for developing countries to ensure they meet the urgency of the climate crisis and the needs of developing countries.
The host country, Azerbaijan, is a key fossil fuels producer, but has signalled it commitment to a sustainable future. It is leading by example and will update its national targets in its next 1.5-aligned Nationally Determined Contribution.
A key part of Azerbaijan’s commitment is developing its renewable energy potential, an important part of the country’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2050. The country intends to increase renewable power capacity to 30% by 2030 and diversify its existing energy system to become a leader in green energy.
Azerbaijan is also dealing with the environmental and social impact of landmines strewn across its territory. It faces the huge task of cleaning up an estimated 1.5 million landmines that were indiscriminately laid in the territory of Karabakh that it recently recovered from its neighbour Armenia.
According to UN Assistant Secretary-General Ivana Živković, mine action in Azerbaijan will be particularly important in the preparations for COP 29.
“As the Government of Azerbaijan prepares for COP 29, the commitment to address environmental issues related to mine action and the wider issue of climate change is more relevant than ever. Therefore, today’s conference and the upcoming COP 29 are closely linked, as both focus on transformative action for environmental and climate resilience,” Živković said at a recent conference on demining in Baku.
She noted that innovation is key to accelerating progress on mine clearance. According to her, advances in remote sensing, artificial intelligence, drones and other innovations have revolutionised the detection and clearance of landmines.
“These technologies not only improve safety and efficiency but also minimise the environmental impact of further demining operations,” she added.
“Azerbaijan is sadly among the top 5 most heavily mine-contaminated countries in the world with 1.5 million landmines indiscriminately planted across 12% of national territory. Landmines pose severe human security risk even after war, with the number of mine victims among the Azerbaijani population approaching 400 people, including children and the elderly,” said Elchin Amirbayov, Azerbaijan’s Representative to the President for Special Assignments.
The Azerbaijani government is also concerned about the health of the Caspian Sea, whose water level is decreasing as rivers that flow into it are diverted for human consumption and irrigation, and as water is extracted for desalination.
Access to water security is a significant concern across the Great Caspian region and beyond. Decreasing water levels would inevitably affect shipping and port infrastructure, particularly rail and maritime transport corridors that connect Asia to Europe.
For instance, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), commonly known as the Middle Corridor, benefits both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, the two countries that border the eastern and western shores of the Caspian Sea.
COP 29 will allow such countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia to put regional environmental issues, including water security, in the global spotlight. Water security is expected to be a key focus of the conference, and the Caspian Sea’s future should be on the agenda, given its environmental and commercial importance to the region and to global trade.
(Additional reporting provided by Joseph Hammond)
