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The COP29 conference held in Azerbaijan proved divisive, and highlighted the unwillingness of developed countries to commit to helping poor nations mitigate the effects of climate change. There was a walkout of envoys from most vulnerable nations and wealthy nations repeatedly refused to commit to figures leading the conference close to failure.
Endangered countries felt they were being systematically ignored by rich countries who owed their wealth to fossil fuel consumption, and were provided with a deal pledging a fraction of the money they needed. The deal, which promised $300 billion in yearly support, was described an “optical illusion” by India’s representative Chandni Raina, a view echoed by many at the conference. While this was three times more than the previous annual pledge, is only a small portion of the $1 trillion that developing countries were asking for initially and it won’t be adjusted for inflation.
Vulnerable countries wanted the money to support a move to clean energy and to build up resilience to the impacts of global warming. Developing countries are disproportionately affected by global warming, with people in low income countries with low carbon emissions being more exposed to climate emergencies. The severe impacts of such emergencies, often combined with poor governance and a lack of investment, creates humanitarian crises. Small island developing states will suffer the greatest economic losses from climate change with more than 100m of shoreline retreat predicted by 2100. These countries who contribute very little to global emissions, are the real victims of global warming and they don’t have the funds to appropriately respond.
It is short sighted for wealthier nations to refuse to pay, as to prevent global temperature rising, everyone needs to cut emissions, and emerging countries have had a 75% increase in the past decade. There needs to be a worldwide focus on moving these countries away from fossil fuels as a matter of urgency.
There is also an argument to be made that wealthier nations have a historic responsibility to help. Wealthy countries, like the US, have contributed the most to global warming through rapid industrialisation, effectively causing the impacts on the Global South, and so should have to pay. However, playing the blame game isn’t an efficient solution to a worldwide crisis like this. There should not only be a moral imperative for wealthier countries to step forward and aid nations, but also an element of self-interest: we all need to cooperate to prevent climate change.
Ultimately while we are taking steps forward to support developing nations, we are not doing enough and we desperately need COP reform to make any significant progress. With the role of the US in climate conversations being questioned with the re-election of Trump, there is much uncertainty. Now, more than ever, the world must stay united to take on climate change, but whether this is possible in our current polarised climate, we are yet to see.
Image: ‘A group of people holding a sign that says the climate is changing why aren’t we’, Lorenzer Platz, 2019 // Unsplash License
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