COP29 landed a new climate finance deal, while the world still needs to build bridges of trust
COP29 landed a new climate finance deal, while the world still needs to build bridges of trust, ambition and innovation towards a safer future for all.
The UN Climate Change Conference delivered a new global finance goal to help countries to protect their people and economies against climate disasters, and invest in the clean energy transition. With a central focus on climate finance, COP29 brought together nearly 200 countries in Baku, Azerbaijan, and reached an agreement that will:
- Scale up the level of climate finance to developing countries, with developed countries taking the lead to increase the level of funding from the previous goal of USD 100 billion annually, to at least USD 300 billion annually by 2035;
- Develop a roadmap and secure efforts of all actors to work together to scale up finance to developing countries, from public, private and innovative sources of finance, to the amount of USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2035;
- Encourage South-South cooperation and support through voluntary contributions from emerging economies.
The New Goal was agreed after 2 weeks of intensely heated negotiations, tainted by the influence of the fossil fuel industry.
TRUST: This was a hard fought outcome - but landing a finance deal in the face of geopolitical turbulence across the world is an important development. More needs to be done to rebuild bridges of trust between all countries to re-energize multilateralism on the road to COP30 .
AMBITION: This is a floor not a ceiling. Developed countries are to take the lead and fully deliver on the 300 bi. All actors will work together to enable the scaling up of financing to developing countries to at least $1.3 trillion per year by 2035.
INNOVATION: To deliver on the "Baku to Belem Roadmap to 1.3T", it is essential to mobilize innovative sources of finance, such as Financial Transaction Taxes, 1% Pledge from multinational companies, contribution from wealthy individuals and carbon mechanisms on aviation and maritime transport. Moving beyond the division between Annex I - Annex II inherited from Kyoto will enable a more fair distribution of the effort, reflecting the new reality of the world today. Emerging economies, including China, as the world largest carbon emitters, and the “newly rich-oil” countries should also show solidarity with the most vulnerable countries.
All actors are now invited to unite around the COP30 Presidency Brazil to:
- Deliver more ambitious NDCs aligned with science
- Catalyze finance at the speed and scale required to meet the needs of developing economies
- Accelerate the just transition, tripling global renewable energy capacity, doubling energy efficiency by 2030, transitioning away from fossil fuels building on the UAE Consensus
- Integrate nature, aiming for a united year of action for climate, nature and food.
Read our full COP29 assessment in the document attached and linked here: https://climatebridges.org/s/COP29-delivers-climate-finance-deal-but-trust-building-is-essential-to-deliver-towards-COP30-1-z9zs.pdf.
The Global Climate Community Members and Partners respond to the final COP29 outcome and the road to COP30:
Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary
“I want to start by thanking the Presidency for all they have done to enable the finance COP here in Baku. It has been a difficult journey, but we've delivered a deal. This new finance goal is an insurance policy for humanity, amid worsening climate impacts hitting every country. But like any insurance policy – it only works – if premiums are paid in full, and on time. Promises must be kept, to protect billions of lives. This deal will keep the clean energy boom growing and protect billions of lives. It will help all countries to share in the huge benefits of bold climate action: more jobs, stronger growth, cheaper and cleaner energy for all. No country got everything they wanted, and that the world leaves Baku with a mountain of work to do. So this is no time for victory laps. We need to set our sights and redouble our efforts on the road to Belém.”
Mary Robinson, Chair of the Elders, Co-Founder of Project Dandelion
“COP29 in Baku has been one of the most difficult COPs I can remember. It came very close to failure and it has ended with a disappointing deal. But it is a deal the world can build on in 2025. The Paris Agreement is alive, and we are making progress – just not fast enough. The $300 billion per year committed by 2035 by rich countries at COP29 falls $90 billion short of the amount needed to implement the Paris Agreement. This is nowhere near enough to support the developing countries that have not caused the climate crisis yet are experiencing its worst impacts. But the intention in the deal to generate at least $1.3 trillion from a wider range of sources is right. This is an investment, not a hand-out. It is clear that the COP process is in need of reform to make it easier for decisions to be taken, implemented and monitored. We need actions not more words. With strong leadership from Brazil, we have a chance to speed up the progress needed before COP30 in Belém. G20 countries in particular must step up by committing to both mobilise more climate finance and quicker reductions in emissions. Let’s not squander the short time we have. Later is too late.”
Elise Buckle, CEO of Climate Bridges, International Gender Champions Climate Impact Co-Chair, Founder SHE Builds Bridges
“ In two decades of international climate negotiations, this was one of the most challenging COPs I have ever attended, after Copenhagen. But the spirit of the Paris Agreement is alive and the agreement on a new global climate goal is good news. We need to continue building bridges of trust towards COP30 in Brazil and make sure the richest countries deliver on their pledge of mobilizing $300 billion per year for developing countries. This is a floor, not a ceiling. Raising $1.3 trillion per year will require new innovative sources of finance from global solidarity levies, more ambition from multilateral development banks, financial transaction taxes and taxes on the most wealthy fortunes, as mentioned by the G20. It also matters where the money goes. The poorest and most vulnerable countries are not getting enough, and we need better access for women, indigenous peoples, small farmers, and local communities. COP29 was weak on transitioning away from fossil fuels. Oil-rich countries must move to the right side of history, accelerate the energy transition, stop derailing climate negotiations and also contribute to climate finance for the most vulnerable nations that are paying the human cost and a high price of loss and damage due to climate change. We need to continue to keep the pressure up to phase out fossil fuels, here and now, also regarding our consumption at the national level. Last but not least, nature needs to be back at the center of COP30 in Brazil. Our task as a global climate community is to build bridges of trust and global collaboration for climate, people and nature, and re-energize multilateralism with clear goals coming from the three Rio Conventions. Nature finance deserves the same level of attention as climate finance.”
James Lloyd, Policy Lead, Nature4Climate
"Nature stands ready as our most cost-effective ally against the climate crisis, yet we continue to starve it of funding. There is no viable climate solution without nature. COP30 will mark the midpoint in the decade of delivery. Set in the world’s most biodiverse country, it can and must deliver stronger integration of forests and nature into climate commitments. With ecosystems on the verge of collapse, leaders cannot delay any longer. Together, we must enable transformative action on a global scale. Now is the time to lead with nature.”
Patricia Zurita, Chief Strategy Officer, Conservation International
"Amid questions about leadership, diplomatic squabbles and rebukes of the COP system, nearly 200 countries in Baku signed on to a new finance goal. While imperfect progress is still progress, we need to see more ambition and speed to keep 1.5C alive. Yet the agreed upon climate finance goal falls short and ignores the crucial role of nature as a climate solution. It does not advance the commitment countries made to scale down fossil fuel subsidies. Even if we miraculously halted all fossil fuels tomorrow, scientists agree that we would fly past our climate goals without also protecting and restoring nature. We will continue to shout this message from the rooftops until leaders take seriously the action and speed it demands.”
Clare Shakya – The Nature Conservancy’s global managing director for climate – characterised the outcome as follows:
“At the start of this COP, I spoke of the importance of prioritizing the poor communities on the front lines of the climate crisis, as negotiators worked to secure an ambitious outcome on the minimum US$1tn needed to safeguard these vulnerable populations. After two gruelling weeks of talks – and a nail-biting final 24 hours that threatened to place Baku’s name alongside 2009’s COP15 collapse in Copenhagen – we have a deal that should at least prime the pump of climate finance by mobilizing US300bn per year by 2035. The Paris Agreement process is still alive, albeit barely. Hopefully the ambition evident in fresh NDCs from Brazil and others, coupled with President Lula’s recent G20 Summit comments, will inject fresh vigour into UN climate talks at COP30 – but the international community would be wise to expect more bumps on the road between Baku and Belém.”
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead, and former environment minister and COP20 President, said:
“The science remains the same - we must accelerate action in this decade to prevent climate change spiralling out of control. All national and corporate leaders have a responsibility to step up, go beyond the parameters of this deal, and deliver sufficient levels of finance to deliver the transformational changes needed. We need to invest in our collective future.”
Natalie Unterstell, President of Instituto Talanoa, Brazil
“While the agreement in Baku keeps the spirit of the Paris Agreement alive, it falls far short of addressing the urgency of the climate crisis. Incremental financial commitments and sizable gaps in emissions reductions make it clear that deeper work lies ahead. The path to Belém must be a turning point, where modest progress evolves into transformative action. Rebuilding trust, reforming COPs, and delivering on the ambition demanded by the most vulnerable is the true test now."
Namrata Chowdhary, Chief of Public Engagement, 350.org
“Once again, inequity has driven a hard bargain that the vulnerable had no choice but to accept. Rich countries have failed to honour their responsibilities, and shown up with rigid unwillingness to meet this moment with the bold ambition required to address the climate crisis. As this deal got pushed through in this dark, disappointing moment, we continued to stand in solidarity with those most impacted by both - a crisis they did not cause, and a result they could not really influence. This deal has failed to meet the ambition needed, but at least a much-needed multilateral framework has survived. And as we’ve seen over the past two weeks in the halls of the COP venue and the many actions held across the world, hope and ambition are alive and well in the climate movement. We are already looking ahead, and preparing to build new momentum in the global movement for climate justice, with campaigns focussed on real solutions to the climate crisis.”
Sandra Guzman Luna, Founder and Director General of the Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean
The conclusion of the COP29 brings several emotions to the community, because while it was very important to get an outcome about the new collective quantified goal (NCGQ), to avoid further delays and to have an incentive for the updating process of the National Determined Contributions (NDCs), it is an outcome that does not reflect the needs of developing countries, particularly for small islands and least development countries, which leaves us unsatisfied. Tripling the 100 billion is not enough, because it’s not a public finance commitment from developed to developing countries, and does not have a proper goal on climate finance for adaptation, and loss and damage. However the roadmap towards the mobilization of more finance, to reach at least 1.3 trillion per year dedicated to developing countries, it is an important opportunity. The call is to continue working to transform the whole financial architecture to ensure that there is finance for people, nature and for the future.
Maria Netto, CEO, Institute for Climate and Society (iCS), Brazil
“The results of COP29 pose major challenges for Brazil in its preparation for the presidency of COP30. However, it also presents an opportunity to support rebuilding trust in multilateralism and to align the climate change debate with new development models, with reduced inequalities and greater inclusion. In a complex geopolitical context, building bridges and finding consensus is essential. This will only be possible with broad social participation and innovation.”