COP29

The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements.

A key task for the COP is to review the national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties. Based on this information, the COP assesses the effects of the measures taken by Parties and the progress made in achieving the ultimate objective of the Convention.

The COP meets every year, unless the Parties decide otherwise. The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995. The COP meets in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a Party offers to host the session. Just as the COP Presidency rotates among the five recognized UN regions - that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others – there is a tendency for the venue of the COP to also shift among these groups.

The Conference of the Parties (COP), is held annually, with the Presidency rotating between the five recognised UN regions. This year, Azerbaijan has been selected as the Presidency of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), to be hosted in Baku this November. Azerbaijan has a strong track record of hosting international events and has chosen Baku Stadium as the venue for COP29. To deliver a process that is transparent, impartial and inclusive, the COP29 Presidency has developed a plan based on two mutually reinforcing pillars to enhance ambition and enable action.

As with all COP meetings, nearly every country in the world will be involved, as the event is hosted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This includes developed and developing countries, international organizations, and numerous stakeholders like NGOs and businesses.

COP29 in Baku continued the global mission set by the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global warming to below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The vision focuses on accelerating climate action, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing international cooperation on climate issues, including financing and adaptation strategies.

Key Arrangements:

• Climate Finance: One of the central themes was securing climate finance, particularly for vulnerable nations facing the direct impacts of climate change, like rising sea levels and extreme weather.
• Technological Innovation: COP29 focused on scaling up clean energy technologies and solutions to reduce emissions. This will include promoting renewable energy projects, electric transportation, and other sustainable practices.
• Adaptation and Resilience: Discussions on increasing the resilience of nations to climate change, especially in terms of agriculture, water, and infrastructure, will be a key focus.
• Global Cooperation: A significant part of COP29 will be working on stronger international commitments, such as updating Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), sharing best practices, and accelerating collaborative efforts for climate mitigation.

COP29 in Baku is a key milestone in the global effort to combat climate change. Hosted in Azerbaijan, the event highlighted the importance of tackling climate issues in both developed and developing regions. It provided an opportunity for nations to strengthen their commitments, share innovative solutions, and ensure that adequate resources are available for climate action. The conference discussed climate finance, technology, and strategies for adaptation, all aimed at ensuring a sustainable future for the planet.

With a central focus on climate finance, COP29 brought together nearly 200 countries in Baku, Azerbaijan, and reached a breakthrough agreement that will:

• Triple finance to developing countries, from the previous goal of USD 100 billion annually, to USD 300 billion annually by 2035.
• Secure efforts of all actors to work together to scale up finance to developing countries, from public and private sources, to the amount of USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2035.

This summit had been dubbed the ‘climate finance COP’, and representatives from all countries were seeking to establish a new, higher climate finance goal. 

The target, or new collective quantified goal (NCQG), will replace the existing $100 billion goal that is due to expire in 2025.

List of all COP events held so far:

Kyoto, Japan - COP 3 - Kyoto Climate Change Conference - December 1997

Buenos Aires, Argentina - COP 4 - Buenos Aires Climate Change Conference - November 1998

Bonn, Germany - COP 5 - Bonn Climate Change Conference - October 1999

The Hague, Netherlands - COP 6 - The Hague Climate Change Conference - November 2000

Bonn, Germany - COP 6-2 - Bonn Climate Change Conference - July 2001

Marrakech, Morocco - COP 7 - Marrakech Climate Change Conference - October 2001

New Delhi, India - COP 8 - New Delhi Climate Change Conference - October 2002

Milan, Italy - COP 9 - Milan Climate Change Conference - December 2003

Buenos Aires, Argentina - COP 10 - Buenos Aires Climate Change Conference - December 2004

Montreal, Canada - COP 11 - Montreal Climate Change Conference - December 2005

Nairobi, Kenya - COP 12 - Nairobi Climate Change Conference - November 2006

Bali, Indonesia - COP 13 - Bali Climate Change Conference - December 2007

Poznan, Poland - COP 14 - Poznan Climate Change Conference - December 2008

Copenhagen, Denmark - COP 15 - Copenhagen Climate Change Conference - December 2009

Cancun, Mexico - COP 16 - Cancún Climate Change Conference - November 2010

Durban, South Africa - COP 17 - Durban Climate Change Conference - November 2011

Doha, Qatar - COP 18 - Doha Climate Change Conference - November 2012

Warsaw, Poland - COP 19 - Warsaw Climate Change Conference - November 2013

Lima, Peru - COP 20 - Lima Climate Change Conference - December 2014

Paris, France - COP 21 - Paris Climate Change Conference - November 2015

Marrakech, Morocco - COP 22 - Marrakech Climate Change Conference - November 2016

Bonn, Germany - COP 23 - UN Climate Change Conference - November 2017

Katowice, Poland - COP 24 - Katowice Climate Change Conference – December 2018

Madrid, Spain - COP 25 - UN Climate Change Conference - December 2019

Glasgow, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - COP 26 - Glasgow Climate Change Conference – October-November 2021

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt - COP 27 - Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference - November 2022

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - COP 28 - UN Climate Change Conference - United Arab Emirates

Baku, Azerbaijan - COP 29 - UN Climate Change Conference Baku - November 2024

Sources : https://unfccc.int/