Half-time in Baku! On Saturday night, the first half of COP29 came to an end and the teams were sent to the dressing rooms for a short break. To stay in the picture: So far, the game has been disappointing. Ball pushing, trick series, stonewalling, safety thinking, defensive plays. There will hardly be any courageous […]
According to many observers, the planned withdrawal of the USA from the Paris Agreement would complicate the negotiations at COP29, but not throw them off track. It is still unclear when and how exactly Donald Trump will make decisions on the climate issue as US President from January 2025, but some developments are already emerging.The […]
The international climate movement, united in the “Climate Action Network” CAN International, is acting much more defensively around COP29 than at previous conferences. According to CAN, the traditional demonstration on the first weekend of the conference will not take place. The organizers also complain that fewer activists were able to come to Baku due to […]
The first week of the COP in Baku is drawing to a close and the fuss about the heads of government is over. On the contrary, the undiplomatic outbursts by Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev, for example, have put a strain on the conference climate. Detailed work is now required. As usual, things are tough when it […]
The official program of the COP29 began on the second day with urgent appeals for more climate action, sharp attacks on Azerbaijan’s critics, and practically no high-level participation from the most powerful countries. On the previous day, the COP plenary had blocked each other in an hour-long battle over the agenda. Then, late on Monday […]
When first impressions count, things get uncomfortable in Baku. Unlike a year ago, when COP28 started with a success story (the “Loss and Damage” fund was adopted!), COP29 was entangled in a battle over the agenda throughout Monday. There was still time for the big words about responsibility, community and the future at the beginning, […]
A possible withdrawal of the USA from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) would put the Climate Change Secretariat in financial difficulties. If the US, the largest contributor to the convention to date, were to leave, as announced by President-elect Donald Trump, the UN Climate Change Secretariat would lose more than a quarter […]
The COP29 negotiations in Baku got underway on Monday after a 9-hour delay and a tough battle over the agenda. After the delegations had been working on compromises until the early hours of the morning the night before the start, the opening plenary adjourned immediately after the welcoming addresses by COP President Mukhtar Babayev and […]
Due to the failure of the “traffic light” coalition, the German government is showing significantly less presence at COP29 in Baku than it normally does at climate conferences. Unlike in almost every year of the last decade, the head of government is not attending the conference. Germany is not represented at the prestigious “World Leaders […]
The 29th UN Climate Change Conference starts today in Baku. And anyone who thought COP29 would only be a semi-interesting “implementation COP” is wrong. The political and economic stakes will be high in Baku: The delegations will have to digest the shock from the USA, where Donald Trump is now preparing to inflict serious damage […]