Cop29, Guterres to governments:“Forced to find an agreement”

During the opening ceremony of COP29, the Secretary General of the United Nations launched a new heartfelt appeal for action on the climate.

The twenty-ninth United Nations World Climate Conference (LA Cop29) officially opened its doors in Baku Monday 11 November.Although there are numerous defections of heads of state and government who preferred not to go to Azerbaijan - some for political reasons, some for lack of confidence in climate action - statements from many leaders are expected on Tuesday.

Guterres at Cop29:“A world of man-made disasters”

The first to speak was the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, which did not fail to demonstrate once again the need for act immediately and drastically both on the mitigation and adaptation fronts climate changes.

"With the hottest day on record and the hottest month on record, 2024 is almost certain it will also be the hottest year on record – began the Portuguese diplomat -.And also an amazing year in terms of destruction caused by climate, with families forced to flee from hurricanes, destruction of biodiversity, the suffocating seas, workers and refugees collapsing for the unbearable heat, floods tearing apart communities and destroying infrastructure, children going to bed hungry as drought devastates crops.All of these disasters, and more, are amplified by climate change caused by man”.

“80 percent of the global population wants more climate action”

Guterres then recalled that no country is safe facing the impacts of global warming.And he underlined, citing data from the University of Oxford and the United Nations Development Programme, that "80 percent of the world's population calls for greater climate action".This is why “sscientists, activists and young people who are calling for change must be listened to, not silenced."

On the other hand, there is only one way to lead the battle against the climate crisis:“To limit the growth of the global average temperature ad 1.5 degrees centigrade, we can only cut our emissions by 9 percent per year.By 2030, we need to hit a 43 percent drop, And then the 2019 levels,” recalled the UN secretary general.Who, addressing the heads of state and government present, dictated the line:“At this Cop29 you must find agreements on fair and effective rules regarding carbon credit markets, which respect local communities and leave no room for forms of greenwashing or of land grabbing”.

We need global actions that transform entire economies

But, more generally, according to Guterres it is necessary to give life to new climate action plans involving entire economic systems.Also in view of the revision of promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (NDC) which each country will have to send to the United Nations by next February.“You have agreed – added Guterres – that your new plans will align with the 1.5 degree target.This means they will have to cover all emissions and entire economies.That the global objectives to triple the capacity of the sources will have to be brought forward renewable, double energy efficiency and arrest the deforestation by 2030, as well as reduce global production and consumption by 30 percent fossil fuels by the same date."

Furthermore, it will be necessary to “align national energy transition strategies and priorities sustainable development with climate action, in order to attract investments necessary.All this must be achieved in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national situations. All countries must do their part”, specified the UN number one.

Guterres to governments present at COP29:“An agreement is a must”

On the front ofadaptation, then, the urgency is identical:“You must do more – added Guterres – to protect people from the destruction caused by the climate crisis”.This in a context in which “the most vulnerable were abandoned faced with extreme climatic conditions".And while “the distance between the necessary financing to deal with adaptation and the amount allocated could reach 359 billion dollars per year by 2030".

On the other hand, the issue of funds is the priority of Cop29:“Developing countries eager to act face many obstacles:poor public funding, exorbitant cost of money, devastating climate disasters and unsustainable debt burden.The result is that adaptation is denied to them.Last year, developing and emerging markets outside China received just 15 cents for every dollar invested in clean energy globally.Cop29 must break down walls that block climate finance.Developing countries must not leave Baku empty-handed. An agreement is a must.We need a new financial objective that is up to the task."

Guterres has always been very clear on the climate issue, and over time he has not failed to criticize governments for their insufficient actions.It will be necessary to check whether the political conditions of COP29 will this year allow us to respond to yet another heartfelt appeal from the Secretary General of the United Nations.

Stiell:“Climate impacts already cost almost 5 percent of GDP in many countries”

Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UNFCCC (the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has for its part focused on the economic consequences of inaction:“In many countries, climate impacts already cost nearly 5 percent of GDP.The climate crisis is also a cost of living crisis, because disasters lead to increased burdens on families and businesses.Without concrete action we will see a surge ininflation”.In this sense, according to Stiell, we need to learn the lesson of pandemic:billions of people have suffered because we did not act collectively.”

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom then spoke Keir Starmer, who promised a sharp cut in his country's emissions:“The decline will be 81 percent, by 2035, compared to 1990 levels.”The prime minister then urged other governments to adopt equally ambitious goals, as the problem is global and we need to act globally to solve it.United States Special Envoy for Climate, John Podesta, also held a press conference in which he stated that “although under the guidance of Donald Trump While the federal government has put climate-related actions on the back burner, efforts to prevent climate change remain a U.S. commitment.”An attempt to calm people down, when the concrete prospect is of a new exit from the Paris Agreement.