What we know so far about COP29 in Azerbaijan, 2024, the daily themes, new initiatives, negotiation points and UK involvement.
COP29 – The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – is being hosted by Azerbaijan in its capital, Baku. The country’s plan for the COP Presidency is focused on two pillars:
-
- Enhance Ambition combines key elements to ensure all parties commit to ambitious national plans and transparency.
- Enable Action reflects the role of finance to turn ambition into action and reduce emissions, adapt to climate change and address loss and damage.
The UK takes over the Chair of the Community on Earth Observation Satellites this autumn and will be delivering the CEOS statement at COP29.
Traditionally every other year of the world climate summit is more low key and UK activities and ambitions are already being discussed for COP30 in Brazil in 2025. International standardisation of methane monitoring are a key UK and CEOS ambition and the ground is likely to be prepared in Azerbaijan for COP30.
Read more here: https://cop29.az/en
Daily topics for COP29
The holder of the COP Presidency sets the daily themes for the negotiators’ discussions and presentations. Earth Information Day is a mandated theme but the date has not been confirmed. However since the UK COP26 (2021) Presidency, the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency and Space4Climate pioneered the importance of data from space as evidence to underpin climate policy and actions, climate science and Earth Observation have been integral to the discussions.
COP29 Daily Themes:
November 11 COP29 Opening
November 12 World Leaders Climate Action Summit
November 13 World Leaders Climate Action Summit
November 14 Finance, Investment and Trade
November 15 Energy / Peace, Relief and Recovery
November 16 Science, Technology and Innovation / Digitalisation
November 17 Rest Day and No Thematic Programming
November 18 Human Capital / Children and Youth / Health / Education
November 19 Food, Agriculture and Water
November 20 Urbanisation / Transport / Tourism
November 21 Nature and Biodiversity / Indigenous People / Gender Equality / Oceans and Coastal Zones
November 22 Final Negotiations
Useful updates and sources of information on plans for COP29
Practical information & FAQs – https://cop29.az/en
Ed Miliband, Energy, Security & Net Zero Secretary of State to lead UK COP29 negotiations –https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/15/ed-miliband-lead-uk-negotiations-cop29-climate-summit
COP29 President’s letter outlining key negotiation ambitions, pre-COP events to move towards these ambitions and more – https://cop29.az/en/news/letter-to-parties-and-constituencies
Pre-COP meetings
July 26-27 ‘COP Retreat’: A retreat for Heads of Delegation held in Azerbaijan. It included deliberations on mitigation and the just transition. It spotlighted how all Parties can integrate non-carbon dioxide emissions into their upcoming NDCs and thematic programming to collaborate on agriculture, waste, methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases.
Dates to be confirmed: A global renewables summit with COP28, Global Renewables Alliance (GRA), Bloomberg Philanthropies, IEA, IRENA and other partners. A full agenda for each of these events will be circulated by COP organisers in due course.
Early September: Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) reporting workshops are planned in Baku to focus on IPCC Inventory Software and the linkages of the software with the UNFCCC Reporting Tool.
September 18th-20th: Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage will meet in Baku, Azerbaijan. All stakeholders are expected to demonstrate a clear commitment to working urgently, inclusively, and transparently, to make the Fund better able to deliver effectively on its mandate.
September 22nd-29th: During the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week the COP29 Presidency will engage with all Parties and Constituencies. They will host a high-level energy dialogue with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and an event on Nationally Determined Contribution ambition with the “Roadmap to Mission 1.5” Troika, amongst others.
October 9th: High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) ahead of Pre-COP.
October 10th -11th: Pre-COP in Baku for representatives of negotiating groups and Constituencies. A full agenda is expected to be distributed in September.
The COP Presidency will issue a separate communication to all Parties on activities planned for the UN General Assembly, the G20 Joint Ministerial on Climate and Finance, Pre-COP and during COP29.
Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform (BTP)
Azerbaijan launched this new platform at its pre-COP High-Level Dialogue to raise the ambition of member countries’ Biennial Transparency Reports, including by helping to build capacity in developing countries to complete them. The deadline for completing the BTPs is December 31st but Azerbaijan is encouraging countries to submit them before COP. The aim of the BTRs is to be able to build trust in tracking progress of national climate plans, and identify areas where further action and investment are needed. Read more.
COP29 will have its own TV channel
The Daily Show will be broadcast live from a studio in the Baku COP29 venue. A UK media company, Hi Impact, is producing the channel, aimed at mainstream audiences. Coverage will include in-depth interviews, expert analysis and programmes to make COP29’s complex scientific and climate content more accessible. Find out more.
Climate action pledge signed to help SIDS
The Commonwealth Secretariat and COP29 hosts the Government of Azerbaijan have signed a joint declaration to enhance climate action in Small Developing Island States (SIDS) and other vulnerable Commonwealth countries. The pledge includes a memorandum of understanding between Azercosmos (Azerbaijan Space Agency) and the Commonwealth Secretariat to use geospatial information to support climate action across the Commonwealth. The signing took place in Tonga where the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting was held. Read more.