1. COP 16, Colombia
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1156456
The world’s largest biodiversity summit, known as COP16, concluded this weekend in Colombia, with several landmark decisions, including first ever agreements on nature’s genetic data and on recognising people of Africa descent and Indigenous Peoples as key stewards in conservation efforts. Efforts to get a seat at the table have spanned three decades.
Countries did manage to find consensus on a new benefit-sharing mechanism for genetic resources – known as the “Cali fund.”
However, two issues remained unresolved, both instrumental for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework for Biodiversity, a global plan that was adopted during COP15 in Canada to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
One was the lack of a definition for a financing model to bring the biodiversity protection plan to reality. Calculations indicate that $700 billion is required to implement the framework.
The other pending issue is a monitoring mechanism to measure the progress of countries in complying with the roadmap to protect biodiversity.
2. COP 29, Nov 11–24 in Baku, Azerbaijan
This summit had been dubbed the ‘climate finance COP,’ and representatives from all countries were seeking to establish a new, higher climate finance goal.
In the closing days at COP29, negotiating teams from the developed and developing worlds were deadlocked over a final deal, with reports that representatives for least developed countries and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOIS) had walked out of the talks
Finally, Rich nations pledged to contribute at least $300 billion annually to the global fight against climate change will replace the existing $100 billion goal that is due to expire in 2025. with an overall climate financing target to reach “at least $1.3 trillion by 2035”.
Developing nations who had sought over $1 trillion in assistance called the agreement “insulting.”
The phrase “transition away from fossil fuels” was not included in the Agreement though it was included in COP28. Watered down from “Urgent Phase Out of Fossil Fuel.”
UN COP climate talks need to be reformed.
Open Letter to Reform: a critical open letter was circulated mid-way through the fractious summit. Signed by more than 20 experts, including former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, former Irish president Mary Robinson and the former head of the UN climate body that runs the annual COP summits, Christiana Figueres.
Called for: a shift from negotiation to implementation; smaller, more frequent meetings, tied to specific goals, actionable promises and accountability; reducing/eliminating fossil fuel lobbyists; and putting pressure on our own governments to force them to make commitments that are accountable.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev kicked off COP29 with a fiery speech, criticizing “Western fake news” on greenhouse gas emissions, and calling oil and gas a “gift of God.” Separately, days before the conference began, Azeri COP29 chief executive Elnur Soltanov was caught on video telling an undercover activist from Global Witness, posing as a representative from a fossil fuel company, it would be developing oil and gas “perhaps forever.”
Elizabeth May and Green MP Mike Morris opted not to attend COP29 in person because of Azerbaijan’s recent ethnic cleansing of Armenians.
This year at least 32 Canadian representatives linked to fossil fuels are in Azerbaijan for the summit.
Since last year’s summit oil and gas companies have gone on the offensive, according to InfluenceMap. Over the past year, the think tank tracked more than 100 fossil fuel companies and industry associations to uncover how they’re trying to derail climate action. It identified 2,400 instances where companies and industry associations advanced anti-transition narratives.
“Pushing narratives that cast doubt on clean solutions while trying to shift the focus to affordability and energy security, instead of climate change, is a key part of their strategy,” according to the think tank.
COP 30 to take place in Brazil