In the lead-up to COP29, the Action Agenda Initiatives for the November Summit have just been released.
With the overarching mission of creating a greener world, the wide-ranging package of 14 initiatives is geared towards facilitating stronger partnerships, fostering collaborative efforts, ensuring investment, along with catalysing the public and private sectors.
The big takeaways from the announcement include the Climate Finance Action Fund, Green Energy Pledges, Clean Hydrogen Initiatives and accelerating climate action in tourism.
The Summit, which takes place from 11th-22nd November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan, has already been labelled the “Truce COP.” This arose from a plea by the Azerbaijani hosts for a one-month global cease-fire, throughout the conference period.
The Summit’s Chief Negotiator and Azerbaijan Deputy Foreign Minister, Yalchin Rafiyev, said the idea was inspired by the Olympic Games’ truce. It was “not only to promote peace but also because military activities around the globe are the source of 5% to 6% of global emissions,” he said at a recent event in Brussels, organised by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the Belgian capital, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In a statement, the COP29 organisers said the initiatives were “designed to drive action across all climate pillars, involving global, regional, national and sub-national groups.” The objective would be to “take a holistic view of sustainable development” and embracing all demographics, as part of an inclusive process that would “deliver inclusive outcomes.”
Meanwhile, the 14 Action Agenda Initiatives cover:
- A Climate Action Fund – to be capitalised with voluntary contributions from fossil fuel producing countries and companies
- Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment and Trade Dialogue (BICFIT Dialogue)
- Just Transition Investment Partnership (JTIP) 4 Jobs and Skills – creation of a collaborative platform to connect financing needs
- Green Energy Pledge – committing to green energy corridors, zones and grids
- Green Energy Storage Pledge – to make green energy storage one of the cornerstones of global energy systems, to increase capacity six times the 2022 levels and reaching 1500 gigawatts by 2030
- Clean Hydrogen Initiative – to unlock the potential of a global market for low-emissions hydrogen uptake
- COP truce appeal – to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation more broadly
- Digital Action Path 4 Green World – accelerating the green transition through digitalisation and the reduction of GHG emissions in the ICT sector
- Investing in Human Capital, Health and Jobs for Climate Resilient Future – ensuring investments in education, skills, health and well-being
- Harmoniya 4 Climate Resilience: Empowering Farmers, Villages and Rural Communities
- Baku Dialogue on Water and Climate: Enhancing Action on Climate Change and Water Nexus
- Multi-sectoral Actions Partnership (MAP) for Sustainable, Climate Resilient and Healthy Cities – scaling up global urban climate finance and global coherence on climate, urban development and resilience
- Global Partnership for Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism (GPECAT) – aiming to mitigate the trend of growing global emissions from tourism
- Partnership 4 Reducing Organic Waste (ROW): Cutting Methane and Enriching Soil – seeking 1.5˚C-aligned NDC commitments in the waste sector
Jacob Werksman, Principal Advisor at the Directorate General for Climate Action of the European Commission, believed COP29 should be “an enabling COP”. He said: “It is very much about delivering our finance, (…) and we must undertake a transition away from fossil fuels.”
Georges van Montfort, Deputy Director of UNDP’s Representation Office in Brussels, said the 1.5°C target was still achievable “but not for long.” He urged: “We need to seize the opportunity and act now”.
COP29 in Azerbaijan to be a “Truce COP” | United Nations Development Programme (undp.org)
