Holding The Line For COP29 And The Path Forward

Baku, Azerbaijan – As COP29 draws to a close, civil society experts commented on the latest developments in negotiations. Panelists discussed remaining opportunities for an ambitious climate finance goal, the implications of climate finance for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and what it means to hold the line for climate justice as we look towards COP30 in Brazil.

Ilan Zugman, 350.org Latin America Managing Director said:

“It’s unacceptable for rich nations to continue playing with the lives of the global south. It's time to invite new types of leadership into this process. At the G20 last week, Indigenous people from Brazil launched ‘The Answer is Us’, with demands including the co-presidency of COP30, climate finance to reach vulnerable communities, more ambitious national climate goals, the demarcation of Indigenous lands, and the acceleration of a just energy transition.

The road to COP30 will require bold leadership from Brazil that unites rather than divides, and invites true international cooperation through climate leadership. The success of COP30 starts today or tomorrow, in the text that will come in a few hours. We must see in this text a new number – a quality number that will not put the global south into further debt, or rely on private finance. We can't solve the climate crisis by replicating the same models that caused this crisis. It's time to put the money in the right initiatives. There are many communities all over the world who we should look towards, who are leading in climate solutions. We need to look to them instead of giving money to fossil fuel companies investing in dirty energy. We already have the solutions to tackle the climate crisis. We are just missing political will, and courage to change the systems that put us in this place.”

Hilda Nakabuye, Fridays for Future, Uganda said:

“We are holding on to hope. As a mother I am here to represent my people, my community, but also future generations that we hold close and dear to our hearts and why we are all in this fight. The ones least responsible for climate change undergo its worst effects.

We know what power we hold: the power to act. We are in an emergency. This COP is all about the money, but communities on the ground are not seeing the money. When the climate hits we need to respond like any other emergency, because it is an emergency. We all know deep down there is more than enough money to fill the loss and damage fund with trillions, so why are we still pleading for the bare minimum?

What we can take from this discussion is hope. Hope that change will happen at the speed of empathy. We need action, more than ever, and we need to build a movement based on solidarity and empathy to be able to combat the worst effects of the climate crisis.”

Ricardo Baitelo, Institute of Energy and Environment said:

“There is a big difference between a COP in the forest, and a COP for the forest. Brazil must grapple with its contradictions. It is known for its diplomatic features – the push for a fossil fuel phaseout to be included in the final text here in Baku, and a commitment that if it is not it will be reached next year. The People’s Summit that will take place at COP30 in Belem is a channel we can use to bring the demands of the global south.

But at the sametime, Brazil is increasing oil production and its membership of OPEC is a stark contradiction. The energy transition doesn't mean we can hide behind good examples of investments in renewable energy, we need to set clear deadlines for the phase out of fossil fuels.”

Dr Sindra Sharma, Senior Policy and Governance Advisor, PICAN said:

“When we talk about finance we are talking about climate finance – what you see in the text is a bit of a trap. Climate finance is finance that should go to mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage as a bare minimum. We would hope we could have seen some allocation in the draft text balanced across those themes. We need a clear definition of climate finance, and an understanding of what it is not. Climate finance is not the expansion of fossil fuels.It’s crazy we have to say these things out loud.”

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