COP29
Advancing durable climate action for a zero-carbon future
Azerbaijan will host the 29th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku from 11 November — 22 November 2024.
We need durable climate policies
Geopolitical fragmentation, economic competition, and shifting political dynamics have revealed the shortcomings of global climate action. We need a new framework that aligns climate policies with economic and security imperatives through innovative partnerships and leadership.
With the finance to back them up
While there’s extensive discussion around increasing funding for climate action to emerging and developing economies, most proposed solutions lack thorough analysis on scalability, plausibility, and impact. We need more research and more attention on domestic market policies that address root causes, not just symptoms.
We’re asking the hard questions
At COP29, we’re forcing hard conversations that push the climate movement out of its comfort zone grappling with the full scope and complexity of the climate challenge and advancing the range of solutions we need to meet it.
Nuestro mensaje a los líderes mundiales
At COP29, CATF is calling for government, industry, finance, and civil society to reckon with the full scope and scale of the challenge and take the immediate actions needed to meet it.
Eso significa comprender que:
- We need more energy, not less. We must respect the imperatives of energy security and energy access, particularly in the developing world.
- Necesitamos más soluciones climáticas, no menos. No hay balas de plata. Debemos avanzar en una amplia gama de soluciones para maximizar nuestras posibilidades de éxito.
- One size does not fit all. We must allow for region-centric approaches that respect regional diversity, mitigation opportunities, energy resources and security needs, and the development imperatives of the Global South.
- Economy-wide inclusion is key. We won’t get where we need to without buy-in from the full climate and energy ecosystem. We must work within the economic realities of the energy, industrial, and land sectors, mitigating emissions while seeking opportunities for engagement with industry on the road to a zero-emissions future.
- Accountability is critical. Public and sometimes symbolic pledges can set the stage for action, but we need detailed plans that can be implemented in the real world and achieved in realistic timeframes. All stakeholders must be held accountable for tangible and meaningful outcomes.
Events
For speaking engagement inquiries, please contact Amy Patrickson.
COP29 Climate and Energy Declaration Tracker
This interactive tool was created to provide clear, accessible insights into the commitments made by countries, NGOs, and other stakeholders at COP29. The tracker is designed to help users navigate the complexity of COPs by offering a streamlined way to explore key declarations.
News from COP29
Explore insights, research, and the latest COP29 news from CATF’s experts.
Please contact Troy Shaheen or Natalie Volk for media and press inquiries.
CATF experts on the ground at COP29
Jonathan Banks, Global Director, Methane Pollution Prevention |
Lee Beck, Senior Director, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa |
Sam Bowers, U.S. Policy Manager, Carbon Capture |
Harlan Cutshall, Director, Foundation Giving |
Kathy Fallon, Director, Land Systems Program |
Sehila Gonzalez de Vicente, Global Director, Fusion Energy |
Paula García Holley, Latin America Policy Manager, Methane Pollution Prevention |
Mary Louks, Director, Events and Engagement |
Alfredo Miranda-González, Deputy Director, International Methane |
Lily Odarno, Director, Energy and Climate Innovation, Africa |
Amy Patrickson, Liaison for Europe and the Middle East |
Malwina Qvist, Director, Nuclear Energy Program |
Kasparas Spokas, Director of Insights and Integration Strategy |
Troy Shaheen, Communications Director |
Rebecca Tremain, Director of UK Policy |
Zitely Tzompa Sosa, Research Manager, Methane Pollution Prevention |
Natalie Volk, Communications Manager |
David Yellen, Director, Climate Policy Innovation |
Follow CATF’s experts during COP29
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COP29 FAQs
Find answers to your common questions around COP29.
¿Qué es la COP?
La Conferencia de las Partes (COP) es una conferencia anual sobre el clima organizada por la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (CMNUCC), un tratado internacional sobre medio ambiente adoptado por países de todo el mundo en 1994 para abordar el problema del cambio climático. 198 Partes han ratificado el acuerdo (197 países más la Unión Europea), lo que representa una participación mundial casi universal.
Los objetivos de la CMNUCC son estabilizar las concentraciones de gases de efecto invernadero en la atmósfera "a un nivel que impida interferencias antropogénicas (inducidas por el hombre) peligrosas en el sistema climático". La COP sirve de reunión anual de las Partes de la CMNUCC para debatir los avances y las medidas para alcanzar estos objetivos.
¿Por qué es importante la COP?
La COP constituye un importante mecanismo para aumentar la ambición, la rendición de cuentas y la acción, al tiempo que incrementa la coordinación entre las Partes y otras partes interesadas. El desafío climático requiere una cooperación multinacional y multisectorial, y los foros internacionales pueden acelerar la acción, elevando las voces de los más vulnerables a los impactos del cambio climático en un escenario internacional, creando oportunidades para fomentar la cooperación entre países que de otro modo podrían estar en desacuerdo, y proporcionando un foro a través del cual plantear y trabajar a través de preguntas difíciles.
Why is COP29 important?
With Azerbaijan set to host, COP29 will mark the second consecutive major fossil fuel exporter to host the climate conference; and in this case a petrostate inextricably linked with geopolitical complexity. As a major gas exporter to Europe, an importer of Russian gas, and the lingering shadow of conflict with Armenia in the region, geopolitics and the role of oil and gas will once again be at the forefront.
A key issue at COP29 will be the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG). Countries are expected to agree on a post-2025 climate finance target, as the current goal—$100 billion per year from developed nations—will expire in 2025. This goal was first met in 2022, but a 2023 report by the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance estimated that developing countries will require $2.4 trillion annually by 2030 to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Determining who will contribute to this new goal, and how much, will be one of the most contentious issues at COP29.
Countries will also continue negotiations around Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which enables voluntary cooperation and carbon credit trading to meet emissions targets. Key areas of progress include finalizing monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) requirements and processes for the Article 6.4 Crediting Mechanism, allowing the exchange of greenhouse gas offset credits for emissions reductions and removals between nations. Negotiations are ongoing and include developing and/or approving methodologies, registering activities, accrediting third-party verification bodies, and managing the Article 6.4 Registry.
The conference will also spotlight the Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), which require countries to report on their progress toward implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The BTRs, due by December 31, 2024, mark the first major test of the Paris Agreement’s transparency and accountability framework and will be a crucial measure of whether countries are delivering on their climate promises.
Finally, as countries work to update their national climate targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), COP29 will be essential for pushing further ambition. With the next round of NDCs due ahead of COP30, COP29 provides an opportunity to rally countries toward more aggressive decarbonization efforts. The Global Stocktake has shown that we are far off track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, making it critical for COP29 to serve as a turning point in accelerating global climate action.
What is the agenda at COP29?
COP29 will feature the following thematic days:
- November 11: Opening Day
- November 12-13: World Leaders Climate Action Summit
- November 14: Finance, Investment, and Trade
- November 15: Energy / Peace, Relief, and Recovery
- November 16: Science, Technology, and Innovation / Digitalization
- November 17: Rest Day
- November 18: Human Development / Children and Youth / Health / Education
- November 19: Food, Water, and Agriculture
- November 20: Urbanization / Transport / Tourism
- November 21: Indigenous People / Gender Equality / Nature and Biodiversity / Oceans and Coastal Zones
- November 22: Final Negotiations
For more information on the COP29 agenda and its thematic days, visit: https://cop29.az/en/pages/cop29-presidency-action-agenda-letter
¿Dónde se celebra la COP?
COP is hosted by a different country each year and typically rotates through different geographic regions. The first meeting (COP1) took place in Berlin, Germany. COP28, in 2023, was held in Dubai, UAE.
In 2024, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
¿Cuándo empezó el COP?
La primera COP se celebró en Berlín en 1995 y marcó un hito que sentó las bases de futuros protocolos y acuerdos para frenar las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero.
¿Quién participa en la COP?
La COP reúne a decenas de miles de diplomáticos, ministros y negociadores de casi 200 países. A las conferencias también asisten representantes de la sociedad civil, líderes empresariales y financieros, expertos académicos, organizaciones internacionales, activistas y medios de comunicación.
¿Qué se ha conseguido en anteriores COP?
De estas reuniones anuales han surgido varios compromisos históricos, tratados y mecanismos de financiación.
En la COP3 de Kioto (Japón) se adoptó el Protocolo de Kioto con el compromiso de reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero en los países industrializados. El Protocolo de Kioto fue sustituido finalmente por la Hoja de Ruta de Bali en 2007 (que incluía a todos los países y no sólo a las naciones industrializadas), pero sentó una base importante para acuerdos posteriores.
In 2015, at COP21, the Paris Agreement was unanimously adopted, aiming to keep the rise in the global average temperature to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius. It also included provisions to strengthen the ability to adapt to climate change and build resilience and align all finance flows with “a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.” As part of the Paris Agreement, countries agreed to set emissions reductions targets and communicate these targets to the UNFCCC in the form of nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
En la COP24 de Katowice (Polonia), las Partes acordaron el Paquete Climático de Katowice, que establece procedimientos y mecanismos para hacer operativo el Acuerdo de París. Esto incluye orientaciones para la aplicación de las NDC, para la presentación de informes sobre la adaptación y los impactos climáticos, y cómo llevar a cabo el Inventario Global para evaluar el progreso general hacia los objetivos del Acuerdo de París.
En la COP26 de Glasglow (Reino Unido), el Pacto Climático de Glasgow hizo por primera vez un llamamiento a todos los países para que reduzcan progresivamente la energía del carbón y las subvenciones ineficientes a los combustibles fósiles. También fue testigo del lanzamiento del Compromiso Mundial sobre el Metano, en el que más de 115 países se comprometieron a reducir las emisiones de metano en un 30% para 2030. El metano es un contaminante climático nocivo que debe mitigarse junto con el dióxido de carbono para prevenir el calentamiento a corto plazo y evitar que se superen puntos de inflexión climáticos potencialmente irreversibles.
At COP28 in Dubai, UAE, the final negotiated text recognized the need to transition the global energy system by advancing a wide range of clean energy solutions and rapidly cutting methane emissions — while acknowledging the need for regionally tailored approaches that contend with economic and geopolitical realities. Outside of the negotiating room, COP28 broke new ground with major commitments around methane mitigation, nuclear energy deployment, oil and gas decarbonization, fusion energy, and more.
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