What is COP 29: UN Climate Change Conference 2024 (UNFCCC COP 29)
COP 29, the highly anticipated climate conference, is set to begin in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 11. It has captured global attention, as activists, environmentalists, and leaders are eager to see what new measures will be introduced to address climate change. If you’re curious about what COP 29 involves, here’s a guide to the essentials of this year’s conference.
Let’s start with some important details about COP 29 to answer the question, “What is COP 29?”
1. When is COP 29: November 11–22, 2024
2. Where is COP 29 being held: Baku, Azerbaijan
3. What does COP 29 stand for: Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP29)
Climate change is quite complicated, and as you might know, with detailed discussions on the 1.5-degree pathways, strategies to deal with climate change and carbon disposal. For almost three decades, the world government met nearly every year to strategise a global and collective response to the climate emergency.
COP stands for Conference of the Parties under the UNFCCC and annual meetings focusing on Climate Change. In this strategic meeting, the governments meet once a year and negotiate to create a coordinated global response to climate change, which is quite effective and collaborative.
What is COP 29?
COP, also known as the ‘Conference of the Parties’ is the UN’s annual climate change conference which started in the year 1995, shortly following the formation of the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC) in 1994. All signatories of the UNFCCC come together to discuss, negotiate and strike deals to tackle the imminent global warming crisis. Essentially, COP negotiations are centred on the legal mechanisms for governments to hold each other accountable. This year’s COP is hosted by Azerbaijan.
What is the agenda for COP 29?
What happened at COP 28?
At COP 28, leaders aimed to develop strategies for reaching net-zero emissions globally. Some key achievements included:
- Methane Reduction: Over 110 countries pledged to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, addressing one of the most potent greenhouse gases.
- Ending Deforestation: More than 140 countries committed to ending deforestation by 2030 to protect carbon-dense ecosystems.
- Coal Use and Financial Commitments: Many countries committed to reducing coal use. While the phrasing was “phase down” rather than “phase out,” the pledges signal a shift. Over 500 financial institutions pledged to move their investments toward clean technology, aligning with efforts to phase out fossil fuels.
Although the COP 28 pledges showed progress, some critics noted a lack of clear monitoring and protocols to ensure accountability, especially regarding “net-zero emissions.” Climate Action Tracker estimated that if all commitments were met, the temperature rise could be limited to around 1.8°C.
What usually is discussed at COP?
COP discussions revolve around agreements like the Paris Agreement, which focuses on:
- Reducing Greenhouse Gases: Setting targets for achieving net-zero emissions in the latter half of the century.
- Supporting Developing Nations: Developed countries are encouraged to provide $100 billion annually to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate impacts.
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Countries set their own climate goals, with progress assessments every five years.
Why is COP 29 important?
The motive is quite clear – To reduce the emissions by 2030 and have an excellent opportunity to control global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. COP 29 is crucial for evaluating global progress and making adjustments to stay on track with the Paris Agreement’s goals. Leaders will present updated commitments, aiming to control global warming to 1.5°C. The conference is also a valuable opportunity to assess which countries are leading in their climate commitments and which may need to strengthen their targets.
Beginner’s glossary list to COP 29
Every industry includes many acronyms and buzzwords that can be pretty difficult to interpret and understand. Let’s look into the COP 27 glossary of the most frequently used terms that you might come across.
COP 29
The 29th conference uniting global leaders to address climate change, building on past efforts like the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and the 2-degree warming limit.
Paris Agreement
Paris Agreement is the agreement made between the world’s countries at COP 21. They unitedly agreed to limit the global warming temperature to 2 degrees Celsius, addition to pre-industrial levels, intending to keep it at 1.5 degrees Celcius as much as possible.
Pre-industrial levels
Theoretically, ‘Pre-industrial levels mean any period before the start of the industrial revolution. According to the IPCC, the pre-industrial period is referred to the time between 1850-1900 to calculate the global warming temperature rise.
1.5° C pathway
The strategic plan aims to consistently maintain the warming temperature rise by 1.5 degrees Celcius above preindustrial levels by 2100. Climate researchers have stated that this would be the maximum safe level rise in temperature. Every sector and industry is factored to consistently follow this pathway.
Anthropocene
Human activity has significantly impacted the climate and the environment, which is technically coined as the Anthropocene. Starting from the mid-20th century, human activities have transformed how the Earth system works by rapidly increasing carbon emissions.
Carbon budget
The number of greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere has a significant impact on the temperature rise. The carbon budgets are a methodology to calculate and limit these emissions to maintain the 1.5° C limit. It is associated with carbon permits and restrictions that help to keep accountability and transparency with the claims.
2° C
Increase in global warming temperatures beyond this threshold compared to pre-industrial levels is considered the worst worldwide warming and climate change impact.
Kyoto protocol
It is an agreement between 192 countries to limit and reduce carbon emissions based on individual company targets. It was the first ever globally binding target that was signed in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan.
UNFCCC
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the term for international, environmental treaty that aims to reduce human interference with climate change and biodiversity. It was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.
Climate Change Mitigation
The concept of mitigation focuses on avoiding the effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse emissions and global warming consequently.
Adaption
Since mitigation is Plan A for all the nations, failure to imply altogether the same is also a possibility. As far as the effects of climate change are concerned, purely mitigation might not help create an immediate impact. In practice, it is recommended to adopt mitigation and adoption together to make the best progress.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Reducing carbon emissions begins by capturing the emissions from industrial activity. It is a concept that talks about trapping carbon emissions and storing them deep in the ground.
Carbon intensity
It is a measure used by developing countries to raise the issue of global warming. It measures CO2 that is released on par with the economic output.
Carbon Tax
Under this concept, the government can set a price on the emitters that need to pay off about each ton of greenhouse gas emitted.
Carbon Trading
Unlike a carbon tax, it is a market-based initiative that aims to meet carbon reduction targets and reduce greenhouse emissions, measuring it in terms of emission permits. The lower credits mean lower costs, which means that the companies can enjoy more profit.
Net-zero
The point of balance of GHGs being removed from our temperature to control climate change. This balancing should also reduce the emissions and not just by planting more trees to create carbon sinks.
Carbon Offset
It attempts to compensate CO2 emissions by funding efforts to reduce or remove the equivalent amount of carbon released.
Climate Change
In simple terms, it is the consequence of global warming. Global warming adds more heat to the planet which is usually cooled down by the oceans. But with the changing weather patterns, warming has had a significant effect on these weather patterns, fueling climate change worldwide.
