This year’s Climate Conference, COP29, was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, a decision which was already controversial with climate campaigners, due to the country being a major producer of fossil fuels.
However, as the climate conference has drawn to a close, we will explore what happened at the summit this year, the outcomes of the final text and if this year’s COP could be the final one.
A COP surrounded by tension
COP29 was hosted on the heels of a very tense US election, meaning that many nations attending the summit were unsure of what to expect from the country. Under President Biden’s leadership, climate action has always been important, with the US making climate commitment announcements at COP28. However, with the election of Trump as President, a well known climate sceptic, who has promised to remove the US from the Paris Agreement, COP29 started on already shaky ground.
Other controversies included Argentina pulling out of the summit and removing their negotiators just a few days in. In addition to this, there was tension between developing and wealthy nations over climate finance and emissions reductions.
What did nations commit to at COP29?
Several key statements were made at the climate conference, the UK announced plans to further enhance its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by aiming for an 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 to 1990 levels. Brazil also announced its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and new plans to combat deforestation in the Amazon.
In terms of sector specific initiatives, several countries including India and Australia disclosed plans to make their agricultural sectors more sustainable and resilient to climate change. Germany and Japan unveiled new partnerships to accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources by focusing on technology transfer and capacity building.
Nations also made commitments to different pledges, with 25 countries, including the UK, Canada, France and major coal producer, Australia, pledging not to build any new unabated coal power plants.
A group of countries, including the US, Japan, the UK and Brazil, signed the COP29 Hydrogen Declaration, committing to scale up renewable, clean and low carbon hydrogen production.
Nations also agreed to enhance cooperation on energy storage and grid infrastructure to support the transition to renewable energy. This pledge aims to improve the reliability and efficiency of energy systems worldwide
What were the final decisions to come out of COP29?
It is not unusual for negotiations at COP to overrun, as some nations push for more climate action to be included in the final text and some look to have it weakened. COP29 was the fourth longest COP on record, with the final decision coming in 35 hours later than planned.
So, what were the final decisions and were countries happy? One of the most talked about topics at the climate conference this year was climate finance. As developing nations feel the increased impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, they are struggling to financially recover from the destruction that they are not responsible for.
Climate finance is the money wealthy nations provide to support developing countries with the impacts of climate change. After a lot of negotiations and disagreements amongst countries, it was decided that developed nations would provide $300bn a year in climate finance by 2035. Whilst this figure represents a significant increase from previous commitments, it falls short of the $1.3 trillion per year that many experts argue is required to support developing nations with climate adaptation and mitigation.
After years of negotiations, COP29 finally saw the conclusion of rules governing international carbon trading. This agreement aims to create a transparent and accountable system for trading carbon credits, which can help countries meet their emission reduction targets more cost-effectively. The finalised rules are expected to boost global carbon markets and encourage more robust climate action.
Mixed reactions to COP30 in 2025
As COP29 draws to a close, it was quite a dramatic conference, with nations and campaigners coming away from it with mixed reactions reflecting both hope and frustration.
In the past few years, the nations that have hosted COP have included Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and this year Azerbaijan. These nations have had controversies surrounding their COP presidencies including their ties with fossil fuel organisations and greenwashing. Especially as fossil fuel organisations have been a large presence at the climate event over the past few years.
This has meant that some climate change campaigners believe that COP no longer serves its purpose. With frustrations over the progress made at COP being too slow. So many nations with different priorities all needing to agree on one final text, negotiations are proving to be ongoing and painful. Despite the agreements and pledges made, there is a sense that the actions taken are not sufficient to meet the urgency of the climate crisis.
Unfortunately for COP29, geopolitical tensions overshadowed the real work and progress being made and the point of the summit, which is to put the climate crisis front and centre for not just nations but also the global media.
This year, there were growing calls for the COP process to be reformed, with experts stating the format was ‘no longer fit for purpose’. It has also been suggested that only countries who are truly committed to phasing out fossil fuel should host these summits.
However, despite these challenges, there remains a sense of optimism and determination. Campaigners believe that COPs are crucial for maintaining momentum and accountability in climate action by putting nations on the spot to make commitments on a global stage. With COP30 due to be held in Brazil in 2025, one of the top priorities will be the Amazon rainforest, emphasising efforts to combat deforestation and protect biodiversity.