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COP29: EU, FG to train Nigeria’s climate negotiators The European Union (EU) and the Federal Government (FG) are teaming up to train Nigeria's climate negotiators ahead of the highly anticipated COP29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, this November. This collaborative effort aims to enhance the capacity of Nigerian negotiators to effectively advocate for the country's interests and contribute meaningfully to global climate discussions. Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, scheduled for November 11 to 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan, the European Union is partnering with the National Council on Climate Change to train Nigeria’s climate negotiators. According to a statement released by the EU on Tuesday, the negotiators have been tasked with effectively advocating for national interests and building consensus, which is crucial for securing meaningful global agreements that align with the priorities and interests of local constituencies. At the training session for climate negotiators on Monday in Abuja, Massimo De Luca, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, highlighted Nigeria’s leadership following COP28. According to him, Nigeria was one of the first countries to support the EU’s global pledge to triple renewable energy sources and double energy efficiency by 2030. He further disclosed that the EU would support the NCCC in reviewing three target sectors of the NDC: waste, energy, and the circular economy. “This is why the EU is pleased to continue our partnership with the NCCC on climate governance to ensure the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions and other climate actions", De Luca added. In her remarks, Dr Nkiruka Madueke, the Director-General of the NCCC, underlined the importance of Nigeria taking the lead in Africa and globally in climate change discussions at COP29, hence the need to train its own climate negotiators. Describing climate negotiation as serious business, she stressed the need for Nigeria to have a solid team for UNFCCC discussions. “We cannot claim to be the giant of Africa if we are not a major player in climate negotiations", she stated, adding: “Climate change is the most diverse, multidimensional, multidisciplinary, and cross-cutting challenge we face. If we do not treat it seriously, we will be left behind", African negotiators, including those from Nigeria, have identified key priorities for COP29, including securing increased climate finance, ensuring adaptation and loss and damage receive equal attention with mitigation efforts, and promoting sustainable development. The EU's support will likely focus on strengthening Nigeria's negotiation skills and enhancing its ability to drive climate action. The training program will empower Nigerian climate negotiators with the knowledge, skills, and expertise required to navigate complex international climate negotiations effectively.

🌍 COP29: Are We Falling Short on Climate Action? As the climate crisis intensifies, the COP29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, has faced significant challenges. Major figures such as U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are not attending, , leaving critical decisions in the hands of delegations without direct authority. This situation is particularly concerning as critical topics—like climate finance, adaptation strategies, and setting a new financial goal for supporting vulnerable countries—require committed, high-level engagement for effective resolution.. The absence of key leaders is already undermining the potential for strong, coordinated global action on climate change Fossil fuel companies like Shell are already taking over the stage. Shell’s participation and proposals at COP29, such as pledges to invest in green technologies, have been met with skepticism. Many critics view these pledges as “greenwashing,” fearing that fossil fuel giants may be using the platform to enhance their image without committing to genuine reductions in emissions or divesting from fossil fuel projects. Given the lack of clear, enforceable plans, many suspect that these moves are more about public relations than real climate action and , diverting attention from real accountability. The challenges at COP29 are amplified by the shadow of Donald Trump’s re-election. Trump has signaled that he may again withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, which could significantly impact global climate action, especially as U.S. policy shifts back toward fossil fuel production. This adds an extra layer of uncertainty and may further impede cooperation, especially among countries looking for strong U.S. leadership in climate initiatives. To have meaningful outcomes at COP29, leaders and negotiators need to push for binding commitments rather than vague promises. Rich countries must take concrete steps to increase climate finance, ensuring that funds reach the communities most impacted by climate change. Additionally, countries should consider holding fossil fuel companies accountable by implementing clear frameworks to reduce emissions and foster a shift to renewable energy. The stakes are higher than ever. With global temperatures and climate disasters on the rise, our leaders must step up. Here’s what COP29 participants need to achieve if we are to consider this COP a successful one. 1. Concrete, binding commitments on climate finance for vulnerable communities. 2. Accountability frameworks for fossil fuel companies to prevent greenwashing. 3. A focus on renewable energy investment and fossil fuel divestment. Let’s demand action from COP29. It’s time for leaders to prioritize sustainable policies and financial commitments that match the urgency of the climate crisis. Let's push harder guys! Our hopes are in you #COP29 #ClimateAction #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #Greenwashing

Climate Change Commitments: Now is the Time to Reassert the UK’s Leadership ☀️ Interim Chair of the Climate Change Committee, Professor Piers Forster writes on how the UK has been at the forefront of the global battle on climate change, with a successful track record of reducing emissions. With the commencement of #COP29 this week, this article explores what Forster envisions as key priorities for the UK Government at the International Climate Summit. Please note, this article was written prior to the start of COP29. Forster addresses: 👉 Why the next parliament is crucial for delivering on climate goals 👉 Sustainability priorities for this year 👉 Expectations at COP29 Click below to read on 👇 https://lnkd.in/gyPTfR5N #NetZero #Sustainability #COP29 #ChamberUK #Journal #InternationalClimateSummit #CCC #ClimateChangeCommittee #UKPolitics #PoliticsUK #PolicyUK #PolicyUK

C2ES statement on the conclusion of #COP29: "Throughout the two weeks of the COP, one thing was unmistakable: Presidential election or no, the rest of the world is racing ahead in the low carbon economy," says C2ES President Nathaniel Keohane. "With the new climate finance goal agreed at COP29, all eyes will now turn to the climate targets that countries are required to come forward with early next year," says VP for International Strategies Kaveh Guilanpour. 🗞️ https://lnkd.in/edUTx2iX #climatefinance #climatepolicy #climate #climateaction

Time to Rethink Climate Summits? The COP29 in Baku has ignited important conversations, not just about climate finance and emission cuts, but also about where and how we hold these summits. Despite 28 COPs to date, we’re still seeing rapid climate change. During COP1, global temperatures were only 0.4°C above pre-industrial levels. Today, they’ve soared, underscoring the urgent need for real action over prolonged negotiations. Leading voices like Ban Ki-moon and Mary Robinson are now questioning the effectiveness of the current COP structure. They’re calling for stricter criteria for host countries and a shift from negotiation to focused implementation. With fossil fuel lobbyists often outnumbering vulnerable communities, we need a fairer, more inclusive process. This is about climate justice, fiscal accountability, and ensuring that those most affected by climate change have a real voice. What are your thoughts? Is it time to evolve COP to make a real impact? #COP29 #ClimateChange #Sustainability #ClimateAction #GreenFinance https://lnkd.in/dBNA8ugv

“China has called for the US to engage in ‘constructive dialogue’ to tackle climate change in future, in a thinly veiled swipe at the incoming Donald Trump administration during the UN COP29 summit in Baku. Liu Zhenmin, China’s climate envoy, said he hoped ‘co-operation on global climate action will continue to be enhanced’ between the world’s two biggest economies. In contrast with the stance of the incoming US president Trump, who has described climate change as a hoax, Zhenmin said China was ‘firmly committed’ to improving its controls over methane and other non-carbon dioxide pollutants. ‘Climate change is now a pressing global challenge that demands a collective response from the international community,’ Zhenmin told the assembled dignitaries. Tackling escaped or flared methane emissions, the main component of gas, nitrous oxides and hydrofluorocarbons, is the quickest way to limit global warming as the molecules hold more heat than CO₂ over a shorter lifespan.” “Trump has threatened to reverse decades of US progress on climate change, including by removing the US again from the UN’s Paris agreement, the accord that drives global climate co-operation between countries, and overhauling Biden-era rules to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Zhenmin, who took on the role earlier this year after the retirement of his predecessor, said US-China ‘co-operation on enhancing climate action had been effective over the past year’, and thanked his counterpart John Podesta. Podesta confirmed the US had finalised a rule for a new methane levy in the US that applies to big oil and gas producers, although there are concerns it could come under pressure from the incoming Trump administration as it seeks to weaken the remit of the Environmental Protection Agency. But Podesta said: ‘The global momentum behind cutting non-CO₂ greenhouse gases is strong and growing. It’s bigger than any one country and it will take collective co-operation to get it right.” “Zhenmin’s comments laid bare the shift in geopolitics as national responses to climate change diverge. During his keynote address as host of the summit, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said his country was a victim of a ‘well-orchestrated campaign of slander and blackmail’. Aliyev has previously described his country’s oil and gas reserves as a ‘gift from god’, but told COP29 delegates he would be a ‘strong advocate for the green transition’. China, as the world’s largest emitter alongside the US, is under pressure to take up a leadership role on climate action following the US election results. The country, which in past years has come in for criticism for being obstructive during global negotiations on climate change, is building up renewable energy and rolling out measures to tackle emissions. The country is expected to have more than half of the world’s renewable energy by the end of the decade. In 2023, China rolled out as much solar power as the entire world did the year before.”

On McDermott Will & Emery’s first day in the Blue Zone of COP29, US Climate Envoy John Podesta said the fight against climate change will not stop under President-elect Donald Trump’s next term. In our latest piece, my colleague, Shah Jahan Khandokar, and I summarize Podesta’s key insights shared during day one of the conference. In brief: 1. “Although under Donald Trump’s leadership the US federal government placed climate-related actions on the back burner, efforts to prevent climate change remain a commitment in the US and will confidently continue,” Podesta said. 2. Trump has pledged to deregulate the energy sector and pull the United States from the Paris Agreement. However, Podesta said, “This is not the end of our fight for a cleaner, safer planet.” 3. Under US President Joe Biden, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was passed, the largest downpayment on the green transition seen in US history. 4. “The fight is bigger than one election, one political cycle in one country,” said Podesta. COP29 represents a “critical opportunity to cement our progress.” 5. Among the US’s top goals for upcoming climate talks is securing mitigation plans for greenhouse gases other than CO2, such as methane. On November 12, the US will co-host a summit on the issue with China and COP29 host Azerbaijan. 6. According to Podesta, other major priorities will be reaching an agreement on the use of carbon trading and increasing ambition on clean energy deployment. 7. Another crucial component of the climate talks, Podesta said, will be ensuring small economies have access to climate finance from rich nations. 8. “COP29 is a crucial opportunity to solidify our progress and keep 1.5 degrees alive, accelerate progress in reducing all greenhouse gases, and perhaps most importantly, strengthen global cooperation in adaptation and climate finance,” said Podesta. “We are here to work, and we are committed to achieving a successful outcome at COP29.” 9. At the end of the first day, diplomats have greenlit key rules that govern the trade of “carbon credits,” breaking a yearslong deadlock over contentious carbon markets. It means a global “carbon market” can now been established, allowing richer nations to pay for projects in developing nations that reduce emissions and to meet their climate obligations. Initial projections estimate that this could be worth up to $250 billion of funding for projects in emerging and developing economies. https://lnkd.in/emRsiCqA

“Market signals” for COP29 again thrust into the lead: balanced or unbalanced? COP29 Presidency publishes final texts of Declarations and Pledges for upcoming UN Climate Summit. COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev said: "These Declarations and Pledges are vital tools to drive progress on climate action. They send strong market signals, help direct financial flows, and foster a sense of shared responsibility. The COP29 Presidency’s Action Agenda, first outlined in an open letter to Parties and Constituencies in September, is a comprehensive set of initiatives designed to complement the formal UNFCCC negotiation process. While not part of the official negotiations, these Declarations and Pledges aim to catalyse action and ambition across all sectors of society.  With the final texts now published, government and non-government stakeholders have the opportunity to endorse these documents, which will be formally launched at the COP29 climate summit in November. The texts, finalised following a period of public consultation, include: •   COP29 Truce Appeal •   COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge •   COP29 Green Energy Zones and Corridors Pledge •   COP29 Hydrogen Declaration •   COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action •   COP29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste •   COP29 Multisectoral Actions Pathways (MAP) Declaration to Resilient and Healthy Cities •   COP29 Declaration on Enhanced Action in Tourism •   COP29 Declaration on Water for Climate Action https://lnkd.in/gc2sfvGC

🌍 An Urgent Call for COP Reform 🌍 This open letter, signed by global leaders and climate experts, outlines the pressing need to rethink how COP summits function. After 28 years of negotiations, the reality is clear: - Emissions are still rising. - The 1.5°C threshold is slipping away. - Governments are making pledges, but implementation lags far behind. The letter raises important questions: - Is the current COP structure too focused on negotiation rather than action and accountability? - Can we continue to hold diplomatic events while lacking enforcement mechanisms? - How can climate financing be transparent and effective without burdening vulnerable nations with more debt? The proposals for reform are straightforward but bold: - Shift COPs toward implementation-driven formats. - Establish stricter eligibility for host countries that align with the Paris Agreement. - Strengthen scientific integration and transparent climate finance tracking. It’s not just about recognizing the urgency of climate action anymore. It’s about reshaping the systems that should already be delivering results. I think it's time for structural reform. Thoughts? EIIS - European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability Delawar Barekzai #ClimateAction #COPReform #Sustainability #ParisAgreement #GlobalGoals #Accountability

COP29: Climate funding in the spotlight The UN climate conference is all about money. Who will pay developing countries for the consequences of climate change? In a year that saw millions of people hit by extreme weather disasters, the annual UN climate summit is taking place in Azerbaijan, a petrostate with little interest in leaving its climate-damaging fossil fuels in the ground. Azerbaijan has huge untapped renewable energy potential, but around 60% of state revenue comes from fossil fuels and it plans to "markedly increase" oil and gas production in the coming years. "As the head of a country rich in fossil fuels, of course, we will defend the right of these countries to continue investments and production," said Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in April at a preparatory meeting for COP29. Ilham's words hinted at the agenda the nation might set as host of the conference that will bring lawmakers from nearly 200 countries to the capital Baku to negotiate climate action. How much should developed countries help developing ones? Alongside drastically cutting emissions, countries face another major negotiating challenge — that of agreeing how much financial support developing countries should get to help deal with the consequences of a warming world and to decarbonize their economies. Wealthy countries including the USA and Japan as well as European Union member states previously pledged to mobilize $100 billion (€93.3 billion) a year by 2020 to support developing nations. The target was first reached in 2022. But so far, a significant proportion of the funding has come in the form of high-interest loans, resulting harsh criticism and accusations of broken promises. Niklas Höhne, a climate policy expert with the New Climate Institute, a German NGO, believes states might agree to a figure of between $200 billion and $700 billion in Azerbaijan. "That would be a fair financial deal between the wealthier countries responsible for climate change and poorer countries suffering most from climate change," said Höhne. Developing nations, including India and many African countries, have repeatedly called for annual financing of up to a trillion dollars — a tenfold increase on the current pledge. Industrialized nations have dismissed those figures as unrealistic and want China and oil-rich Gulf states to share the financial burden. Dispute over who will pick up the climate tab Since the industrial revolution, which started in 18th-century Great Britain and was when people started burning fossil fuels in large quantities, rich countries have historically contributed the most to global warming. But China, for instance, has recently become a major emitter of climate-damaging greenhouse gases. Still, in official documents, China is labeled a developing country, meaning it is theoretically a recipient of climate financing alongside poorer states that have barely contributed to the climate crisis. United Arab Emirates (UAE), which hosted the 2023 climate