How will Trump’s election impact the climate negotiations, and what is COP29?
At the most recent annual UN climate meeting in Azerbaijan, world leaders are seeking to reach a consensus on measures to help slow down global warming. One of the main topics of debate is how to increase funding for developing nations so they can reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases and deal with the increasing effects of climate change.
Some significant leaders are not attending, and Donald Trump’s election triumph in the US—who is considered to be a climate skeptic—could also prove to be a distraction. After tumultuous last-minute discussions, certain nations, especially Nigeria and India, accused the COP29 presidency of rushing the agreement through without their appropriate approval.
Where is COP29 being held, and what is it?
COP29 Stands For Conference of the Parties 197 nations that have ratified the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change come together once a year. Each year, the convention’s parties, which are those nations, gather to update their climate change policies. The most significant climate change gathering in the world is COP29.
The UN is in charge of it, and the 29th such event will take place in 2024 from November 11–22. The event is taking place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, a nation in central Asia that lies between Iran and Russia. The Conference of the Parties is referred to as COP. This is the 29th time that this has happened.
Every year, a different city hosts the COP. This year, the official events will be held at Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, at the main sports stadium. Every year, the meeting is hosted by the UN in a different part of the world. Eastern Europe was the planned location for this year’s event. However, because the European Union supports Ukraine, Russia, which has the authority to veto the choice of venue, refused to let COP29 take place in one of its member states.
Who will attend COP29 and who will not?
It is anticipated that between 40,000 and 50,000 delegates will attend COP29. Representatives from the EU and every UN member state are included in this. Environmental activists, trade union leaders, climate scientists, and diplomats will also participate. Antonio Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, is among the other guests.
However, COP29 noticeably lacks the leaders of several of the major economies, which also happen to be the biggest polluters of carbon.
Emmanuel Macron of France, Xi Jinping of China, and US President Joe Biden are not present. Olaf Schulz of Germany, Narendra Modi of India, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, will also not be present.
Plans by governments to address climate change in their nations may also prove to be a complex matter. Every five years, they have to revise their action plans; the next deadline is February 2025.
At this COP, some nations will present their plans, but if they are inadequate and don’t seem likely to prevent global warming from climbing above 1.5C, it might generate issues for nations who are already seeing the effects of climate change. During the G20 negotiations earlier in 2024, there were indications that several nations sought to renege on their pledges to stop burning gas, coal, and oil.
In October, significant UN negotiations on environmental protection also broke down in Colombia due to a need for more consensus on important objectives.
What impact will the election of Donald Trump have on COP29?
The election of the US president-elect, a well-known climate skeptic who has referred to initiatives to promote green energy as a “scam,” has been viewed by climate experts as a significant setback. The US is anticipated to stop funding and participating in the Paris Agreement after Trump is elected.
Trump’s reelection could spark a fresh sense of togetherness among other leaders. However, a coalition that agrees to a significant financial step for developing nations could be formed. Although President Biden’s team will seek success at COP29 without him physically present, they know that any agreements made will not be binding on the incoming government.
In what ways has the 2024 weather been impacted by climate change?
The climate’s warning signs are more urgent than ever. The European Climate Service now says that 2024, a year marked by devastating storms and extreme heatwaves, is “virtually certain” to be the warmest year on record. Moreover, rising Mediterranean water temperatures contributed to the catastrophic flooding that killed at least 200 people in Spain in October.A compounding issue is climate change.
This implies that we are committing to more warming for our planet with each year that we delay. According to Prof. Joeri Rogelj of Imperial College London, “it is imperative that we act now.”