COP29 Day 5

DAY 5 Peace, Recovery

On the fifth day of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the spotlight turned to “Peace, Relief, and Recovery,” a theme that resonated against a backdrop of global conflict, displacement, and environmental crises. 

A group of influential climate policy experts – including former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres and former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon – have released an open letter calling for reforms to COP.

Gloom and Doom headlines

  • Open letter from climate scientists: “COP simply cannot deliver the change at exponential speed and scale, which is essential to ensure a safe climate landing for humanity.”’
  • Over 1,700 fossil fuel lobbyists granted access to COP29. This year’s lobbyists outnumber the delegations of almost every country at the conference – bar Azerbaijan, next year’s host Brazil, and Türkiye.
  • UAE and Brazil’s Nation Climate Change policy fail to tackle fossil fuels in their targets. 
  • Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Least developed countries group, stated that they are not prepared to chip into the world fund to mitigate climate change – money flow will only be in one direction – towards them.
  • According to FlightRadar24 tracking site, 65 private jets landed in BAKU this week bringing delegates to COP29. This is blatant hypocrisy.
  • Meanwhile, the Adaptation Fund, which helps countries most impacted by climate change, is facing a major funding crisis. Despite calls for action, only $61 million was pledged, far short of the $300 million needed. “These missing dollars are not abstractions on a balance sheet; they are lives taken, harvests lost, and development denied,” warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

  • Shrinking shores and dying fish: The catastrophic water levels of the Caspian Sea, near COP29 host

GLIMMERS of HOPE

Aha – found some good news.

GOOD FOR THEM:

With the land border between Georgia and Azerbaijan closed, it has proved virtually impossible to travel to the summit without taking a flight. 

But a trio of UK-based corporate sustainability advisers have managed to lead by example, by embarking on a two-week overland odyssey to get there, involving 15 trains and three buses.

China announced significant strides in renewable energy, unveiling the world’s largest offshore solar farm. This innovation, integrating aquaculture with solar energy, offers a glimpse of how technology can address the dual challenges of energy transition and food security.

UN’s methane monitoring programme showcased tangible results. A decade-long gas leak in Algeria was sealed weeks after satellite notification, highlighting the power of technology to combat emissions.(They only needed to tighten the screws apparently!)

 

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