"I'm worried"

Tough negotiations overshadow climate conference

Can an agreement be reached in Baku to finally put the brakes on climate change?

(Bild: APA/AP/Peter Dejong)

The COP29 world climate conference in Baku (Azerbaijan) is unlikely to produce any major results this year anyway. However, halfway through the two-week conference, even the President of the UN meeting, Mukhtar Babayev, expressed concern about the slow pace of the negotiations.

"I am worried that the parties are not moving towards each other fast enough," said Babayev. He also made a direct appeal to the G20 countries, which are currently meeting in Brazil and are also discussing the climate crisis. These countries account for 85 percent of global economic output and 80 percent of climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions.

Their leadership role is therefore of crucial importance. "We cannot succeed without them. And the world is waiting to hear from them," he said. "This is their chance to show their leadership."

"There are a lot of big numbers buzzing around the room. That makes moving forward extremely difficult and fuels great expectations," Gewessler said.

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

Gewessler again in charge of negotiations
As in the two previous years, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) will lead negotiations on climate change adaptation issues in the second week as the EU representative. However, the framework conditions in Azerbaijan have recently become even more difficult. "Unfortunately, we still see key unresolved issues in all areas. More than at the same time last year," said Gewessler on Monday.

Hardly any progress in the first week
According to observers, there was hardly any progress at a technical level in the first week. The segment on climate change adaptation at ministerial level is now expected to begin tomorrow, Tuesday. The aim is to take measures to prepare countries and regions for extreme weather events that can no longer be prevented by man-made global warming.

The aim is to minimize risks and limit damage. This includes initiatives to protect against heavy rainfall, flooding and storms or the redesign of cities to protect the health of the population during major heatwaves.

Gewessler in favor of concrete goals 
"There is still no sign of a compromise," said Gewessler. But combating water scarcity or the resilience of health systems are very important, especially for African countries. The "headlines" on this topic are good: "But what exactly does that mean?" said Gewessler. Goals that are both achievable and fair are essential.

"My expectations for this year are realistically lower, but it will be all the more important for us to fight for and implement any progress here," said Gewessler. If the signal goes out to the world from Baku that the process is continuing and "multilateralism is alive", this would already be a success according to the Minister.

Climate financing as a central point
According to observers, climate financing is the biggest topic at this year's COP. The central task of the delegations from almost 200 countries is to define a new financial framework for the period after 2025 by the end of the week. According to expert estimates, at least one trillion dollars per year will be needed in future to support countries in the Global South with climate protection and adaptation to the consequences of global warming. Some calculations even put the figure at 2.4 trillion dollars.

Usual suspects are blocking again
According to observers at the COP, China and countries from the Arab world in particular, especially Saudi Arabia, are blocking many points in the negotiations. The presidency of the host country, Azerbaijan, also lacked assertive leadership.

However, according to informed sources, some countries have now turned to Azerbaijan and urgently demanded more progress in the negotiations.