COP29 talks reach midway: So, what happened last week? The UN Climate summit, COP29, kicked off in Baku on Monday, with parties adopting strong new standards for a centralized carbon market under the auspices of the UN, a mechanism highlighted recently by the UN Trade and Development body UNCTAD. This agreement followed 10 years of intense negotiations.
In his remarks to the World Leaders Climate Action Summit at COP29, Secretary-General António Guterres said, "The sound you hear is the ticking clock. We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And time is not on our side." He reiterated the priorities for immediate action: making emergency emissions reductions, increasing efforts for adaptation and closing the finance gap, and agreeing on a new finance goal. | | | Simon Stiell, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), echoed this sentiment: "Let's dispense with the idea that climate finance is charity. An ambitious new climate finance goal is entirely in the self-interest of every single nation, including the largest and wealthiest."
The UN chief also urged countries to 'get serious' on loss and damage funding. He stressed that its initial capitalization of $700 million "doesn't come close to righting the wrong inflicted on the vulnerable." In fact, this figure is roughly the annual earnings of the world's 10 best-paid footballers, he said. | | | On the recent release of UNEP's 'An Eye on Methane 2024' report, according to which human-caused methane emissions are responsible for roughly one-third of the planet's current warming, Inger Anderson, UNEP Executive Director, stated, "Governments and oil and gas companies must stop paying lip-service to this challenge when answers are staring them in the face."
To learn about what the youth representatives and young environmental activists had to say when they spoke with the Secretary-General, check out our 'Featured Story' section below.
COP29 talks also turned to the pressing issue of how to manage the demand for minerals essential to producing electric vehicles and solar panels. Naturally there were calls for G20 governments to limit their emissions — as the very existence of Small Island Developing States hangs in the balance due to climate change. | | | At the midway point, which comes as leaders are heading to Brazil for next week's G20 summit, round the clock negotiations in Baku on the always thorny topic of money are reportedly moving slowly. Delegates from developing nations are calling for more and faster progress on new funding for loss and damage and accelerated clean energy goals.
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, which convenes the annual COP meetings, had a message for G20 leaders early on Saturday before they hopped on their planes for Rio de Janeiro: "Climate finance progress outside of [the UNFCCC process] is equally crucial, and the G20's role is mission-critical…Next week's [G20] Summit must send crystal clear global signals. That more grant and concessional finance will be available; that further reform of multilateral development banks is a top priority, and G20 governments – as their shareholders and taskmasters – will keep pushing for more reforms."
There are still five days left of the conference. The UN News teams in Baku and at Headquarters in New York will continue helping you navigate through the world's largest annual climate gathering. To catch up on the events of the past week, here is our in-depth coverage of COP29 through news articles, live blogging, interviews, videos and more. Everything is available on our COP29 Special Coverage page. | | | Featured story:
COP29: 'You have every right to be angry' Guterres tells youth advocates frustrated over lack of climate action | | Opting out of traditional speeches, young eco-activists from across the globe chose to present their visions on tackling climate change, engage in frank discussions about challenges they encounter, and even to solicit advice from the UN chief on how to take significant steps towards preventing a climate catastrophe.
"You have every right to be angry. I am angry too," the UN chief posted on social media following his meeting with youth representatives and young environmental activists. "I am angry because we are on the verge of the climate abyss, and I don't see enough urgency or political will to address the emergency." | |  | | Watch the video to hear from some of the young climate advocates who participated at the meeting with the UN Secretary-General. | | Zagy Berian from Indonesia, Climate advocate at Youth Climate Justice Fund, said, "We have to open the Universal Access Fund in order to provide youth maybe a small grant for realizing their, you know, concrete projects like the solar PV, micro hydro, biogas for their rural community..." | | Our flagship programme The Lid Is On captures key developments at the half-way mark:
We explain what has been achieved so far, and why the deal gaveled through on carbon markets is important. We also find out what the UN is doing to prevent the rush for the minerals needed for the climate transition turning into a "stampede for greed.' Listen here | | |
What's up with climate:
UN News stories
| | UNHCR amplifies voices of displaced on frontlines of climate change Actor and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Theo James kicked the campaign off at the COP29 Climate Conference in Baku, alongside a group of eight displaced people with first-hand knowledge of how the climate crisis is impacting families.
Read more | | | The Philippines brace for more storms amid devastating typhoon season After enduring 12 typhoons this year, including two back-to-back storms in less than a month, communities across the Philippines are bracing for more extreme weather.
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| | |  | UN News spoked with Celeste Saulo, the Secretary-General of the UN World Meteorological Organization ( WMO) about the WMO's role in adapting and mitigating climate change on a global scale. She said, "Climate is transversal to almost everything—from trade to migration, health, communication, disaster risk management, agriculture, productivity, and fisheries. Everything is impacted by climate..."Listen to the full interview here. | | |
Flagship Reports from the UN
| |  | UNHCR report reveals climate change is a growing threat to people already fleeing war No Escape: On the Frontlines of Climate, Conflict and Displacement calls on governments to take stronger action to slash greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming and climate change. Read here. |  | State of the Climate 2024 Update for COP29 As COP29 opened, the UN weather agency, WMO, released its State of the Climate 2024 Update and issued a Red Alert on the rapid progression of climate change within a single generation, driven by rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Read here. | |  | COP29: Governments, industry must stop 'lip-service' on methane and slash emissions, says UNEP The UNEP-led International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) and the hi-tech MARS system use artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite data to detect gas releases and to help industry and countries identify and deal with large methane emissions. Read here. |  | Coffee, tea and cocoa costs see global food import bill soaring past $2 trillion The global food import bill is projected to exceed $2 trillion in 2024 – fuelled by the rising cost of everyone's favourite hot drinks – according to the latest Food Outlook released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Read here. | | | Featured Video:
What is Climate Migration? | | UN Migration Director General Amy Pope explains the displacement caused by climate change, impacting vulnerable States the most. Last year, more than 26.4 million people were displaced as a result of climate impact. Pope stresses the importance of climate mitigation and the need to invest in communities so that they can be more resilient. | | Featured from UN agencies and partners | | Putting gender equality at the heart of the climate debate Agreeing on strong climate action is one thing. How do we get it right? Crucially, will women benefit equally? Will a green transition help women get higher paid, more stable jobs? Will it help them gain control of their lives and the future of their countries? The answer can be yes. Read the full story here. |  | Can we tackle poverty and climate change at the same time? Governments must work hard to include the poorest, particularly women, in climate initiatives, ensuring they have the resources to cope with immediate shocks, adapt to long-term climate impacts, and benefit from the budding green revolution. Read the full story here.
|  | | | Mark your calendars:
Upcoming climate conferences | | | | | | | Climate Dictionary - Nature Edition | | Climate change is the defining issue of our times. Every day, more and more people are getting involved in climate action. But if you are new to the discussion, it can be quite challenging to grasp some specific terms and concepts at once. That's why the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Climate Promise have put together the Climate Dictionary. This year they have added this new Nature Edition. | | |
Fight Mis- and Disinformation
| |  | | Climate change is a hot topic – with myths and falsehoods circulating widely. Find some essential facts in this Myth Busters section. Share them, use them and talk about them to help counter mis- and disinformation and build support for urgent action.
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