Attending COP29, the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Baku, Azerbaijan, alongside COY19, the 19th Conference of Youth representing Durham University was an incredible, eye-opening, and transformative experience.
COY19
The Conference of the Youth (COY) is an annual event that brings together young people worldwide to discuss and strategize on climate action. It typically occurs just before COP. COY is organized by YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the UNFCCC, and serves as a platform to amplify youth voices in international climate negotiations. It focuses specifically on capacity building, creating connections and synergies between youth changemakers, amalgamating our policy input as well as inspiring sessions led by Youth Leaders.
Upon arriving in Baku, COY19 was already in full swing, with high-level events on the power of regenerative agriculture, the role of nuclear energy in the just energy transition, the essentialness of soil health, and action for climate empowerment and education. It was so inspiring to meet fellow youth from across the world, passionate about making a difference in so many ways. From demanding their respective country’s negotiation party to include Youth in their NDC, to creating organisations to enable and facilitate climate action and philanthropy, to others working with major research institutions and organisations, to YOUNGO, formally bringing the voice of the youth to the UNFCCC, drafting statements, organising local climate conferences of the youth, LCOY’s and more.
COP29
My days at COP were a whirlwind of running from one end of the stadium to the next, trying to absorb and learn as much as possible about the ways in which humanity at this moment in time to tackle climate change. I watched the agenda being passed in the late hours of the first night. I witnessed a plenary dispute, where I could see the machinery of multilateralism at work, the different blocs at play and how the delegations were interacting with the presidency. It was also very interesting to observe the close-knit community of policy makers, co-chairs and UNFCCC representatives, most of which had been working on a specific component of the negotiations for years.
A really hopeful moment in all the doubt and uncertainty was watching the approval of Article 6.4, which is concerned with establishing standards and a framework for an international carbon market, it felt like I had just witnessed a historic moment, the plenary filled with applause and celebration for another step forward in this climate fight. It was also really wonderful meeting incredible researchers, changemakers and groups in the pavilions. A massive sprawling room filled with pockets of knowledge, expertise, hope, doubt, apathy, determination and a grim understanding of the devasting consequences of human action upon our shared home.
Panel presentations
In the midst of all this, I had the honour with my fellow colleagues of the SUAD Youth COP Mock Negotiations to present a panel in the Ocean Pavilion titled “Youth Voices for a Sustainable Future: Oceans, Biodiversity, and Energy at COP29,” where we discussed the importance of mangroves in carbon sequestration, the potential of carbon markets in tackling global emissions, how circular economy models can help tackle marine plastic pollution, the need for climate finance and the overall systemic change required to transition to a more sustainable relationship with the planet. We also presented at the Youth House, set up by the Ministry of Youth and Sport in Azerbaijan, discussing the insights from the SUAD Youth COP’s mock negotiations and the important role youth play in climate action and advocacy, shaping the future of the world around us.
Observations
It was very interesting to observe the great contrast between the ideas proposed at high level tables, press conferences and side events of the people and public versus the actual type of discussion, language, battles of ideology and reality of what was happening in the negotiation sessions. Inside and special events, ideas such as can these new ways of living, i.e. sustainability first, fit into the paradigms of current laws and institutional frameworks? If not, what does that call for then? How can we mobilise investment, and ensure it goes to the right places and right people? It brought our compromised position right to the forefront, such as describing how we have only 5 years left of our global carbon budget. Moreover, 1.5 degrees is a planetary boundary that we should not cross, and our only chance of human dignity for all.
In the informal negotiations of the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance, (NCQG) representing the evolution of the $100 billion per year climate finance target agreed upon in 2009, which aimed to support developing countries in mitigating and adapting to climate change and a massive focus at this COP, it was very clear the divisions within the room, and the vested interests motivating different blocs and groups of people.
The Global South demanded $1 trillion annually, wanting a focus on both the quality and quantity of the NCQG, to rectify the serious imbalance between Mitigation, Adaptation and Loss & Damage, and focus on transparent accounting of the fund, with a chilling point from Cuba, illustrating that while we struggle to come to a fair agreement on the NCQG, in this past year global defence has increased by 9%, to $2.3 trillion, and we live in a world where money for death is privileged over money for life. The Global North had a different approach, such as focusing on the contributor base and discussing the use of loans as a viable component of climate finance, with the EU stating that they deemed it unacceptable that there was any reference to ‘historical responsibility’ within the NCQG.
I thought that with every country having a seat at the table, all voices would be heard, but that was simply not apparent, especially illuminated by Indian delegate Chandni Raina’s, speech at the closing plenary. Allegations against the COP29 Presidency rushing through negotiations, (India not allowed to make a statement before final decision on adoption), one could sense that trust between different blocs was already fragile, the actions and manner in which the COP29 presidency conducted this year’s negotiations might have eroded that trust further.
At one stage the talks look set to collapse, with the SIDS and LDC’s walking out of key meetings, causing an emergency meeting to be held between the Cop29 presidency, senior negotiators from the EU, US, and UK, and the impacted nations, resulting in new proposals. What was agreed at the end of the negotiations for the NCQG was $300bn annually by 2035. To put it in perspective, we are at the highest point of net private wealth in human history, with $450 trillion in the world at present. The Global South asked for $1 trillion, and yet only $300bn was agreed upon. This decision has been seen in many different lights, with some calling it a betrayal, an optical illusion and insufficient to meet the challenges faced by the Global South, with others seeing it as a stepping stone to negotiate further on in 2025, but one must ask to we have the time for to idly wait for next year or the years to come to agree on an NCQG which is fair, just and deserving of the countries who are emitting the least?
Response measures technical session
One session that I attended which struck me was a technical session on sharing best practices for collecting data on response measures, which are the ‘effects arising from the implementation of mitigation policies, programmes and actions’, particularly in regard to the Just Transition, to aid in the implementation understanding of the impact of these policies in the first place. In a room full of delegations ranging from the UK, EU, Australia, USA, Chile, Turkey, Egypt, Hungry, Russian Federation, Kenya and Ghana. For the entire session only Kenya and Ghana spoke, even with considerable pleas from the co-chair (running the discussion) to engage. This was a shocking experience as the members of these delegations were representing their countries, on a topic not only essential to the Just Transition but could help and impact the livelihoods of millions, yet nobody uttered a single word. With the silence in the room becoming almost unbearable, the co-chair opened up the room for observers to speak, and with my anger and hurt fuelling my resolve I intervened. I pleaded with the delegations to speak and at least engage in the session, but the silence which continued once I left the room, illuminated to me that even with a problem as calamitous and as devastating to humanity as climate change, the people who have the power to lead us towards a better future, who so many place their trust in, are still caught up in the values of a worldview which can no longer sustain humanity, which might be the downfall of us all.
Aside from this, the one place which should be free from the clutches of greenwashing and ulterior non-climate motives was certainly not, with COP29 full of fossil fuel lobbyists, some eyebrow-raising pavilions, delegations disrupting negotiations and trying to undo progress, such as trying to change the language of ‘transitioning away from fossil fuels’ agreed on in COP28 in Dubai, and ulterior motives apparent. This was especially upsetting because as youth, we place our livelihoods, our futures, our hopes for a better world and most of all our fragile, precious earth in their hands and all we see is that trust being misplaced again and again. But I do not accept this, and my conclusionary emotion to all of what I have seen and observed at COP is a steely resolve, to do whatever it takes, whatever I can, to dedicate my life to fighting for this beautiful awe-inspiring, wonderous place we call home and all species who inhabit it.
Discover more
Sophia spoke at the Youth Voices Tackling Ocean, Biodiversity and Energy Challenges for a Sustainable Future event. View the recording of the event on our COP YouTube playlist.
