At the opening of COP29, the world is reminded “we are on a road to ruin”

The dire reality of the climate crisis was highlighted for the world to remember as 40,000 delegates, including a strong representation from Pacific Island countries, gather for the Twenty-Ninth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).

“Colleagues, we are on a road to ruin. But these are not future problems. Climate change is already here,” said COP29 President-elect, Mukhtar Babayev. The poignant reminder was delivered during the official opening ceremony at the Plenary Nizami Hall, to an audience including UN member states, political leaders, diplomats, scientists, officials, civil society organisations, journalists, activists, indigenous groups and many more.

“Whether you see them or not, people are suffering in the shadows. They are dying in the dark and they need more than compassion, more than prayers and paperwork. They are crying out for leadership and action.”

Communities in the Pacific islands are amongst those people suffering in the shadows despite their measly contribution to global warming.

Pacific Leaders continue to acknowledge climate change as the single greatest threat to the Pacific region, as emphasised in the Kainaki II and Boe Declarations, noting the region is facing a climate emergency that threatens the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of its people and ecosystems, backed by the latest science and the daily lived realities in Pacific communities.

Recent reports confirm that 2023 was the warmest year on record in terms of global average temperatures. Projections indicate a 95 percent probability that 2024 will surpass this record, with the first six months of 2024 each setting new temperature records. This alarming trend has resulted in 63 countries experiencing their warmest June on record.

Further, record levels of ocean heat and acidification, rising sea levels, heatwaves, floods, droughts, and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones are causing widespread misery and chaos, disrupting daily life for many communities around the Pacific region.

At COP29, Pacific delegations are raising their voice to advocate the Pacific’s positions and messaging on priority thematic areas including Finance (NCQG), Mitigation, Just Transition, Adaptation, Finance, Article 6, Oceans and Climate Change, Loss and Damage, Global Stocktake (GST) and Gender and Social Inclusion. The two-week negotiations are the latest crucial step in tackling the climate crisis with urgency and ambition.

“COP29 is the unmissable moment to chart a new path forward for everyone,” Babayev said.

Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Simon Stiell, emphasised the urgent need for transformative global climate action.

“This crisis is affecting every single individual in the world in one way or another,” he said, warning that: “If at least two-thirds of the world’s nations cannot afford to cut emissions quickly, then every nation pays a brutal price.”

A key item on the agenda is what is known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance, a new global climate finance goal that the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) shall set from a floor of USD 100 billion per year, prior to 2025.

“An ambitious new climate finance goal is entirely in the self-interest of every nation, including the largest and wealthiest, but it’s not enough to just agree on a goal. We must work harder to reform the global financial system.”

COP29 is being held in the capital of Azerbaijan, the port city of Baku on the oil and gas rich Caspian Sea, once an important waypoint on the ancient Silk Road connecting China to Europe. The country bordering Russia, Iran, Georgia and Armenia is now one of the world’s most fossil fuel export dependent economies.

COP29 President-elect, Mukhtar Babayev, welcomed all delegates, challenging them: “We need much more from all of you. COP29 is a moment of truth for the Paris Agreement. It will test our commitment to the multilateral climate system. We must now demonstrate that we are prepared to meet the goals we have set ourselves.”

The outgoing COP28 President His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who is also UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, echoed the call: “I urge you all to prove once again that we can unite, act and deliver. Let positivity prevail and let it power the process. Let actions speak louder than words. Let results outlast the rhetoric. And remember, we are what we do, not what we say.”

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is taking place from 11-22 November 2024 in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.

It is being attended by Pacific leaders and their delegations, who are advocating for the survival of Pacific communities who continue to be at the forefront of climate change impacts.

A key part of amplifying the One Pacific Voice at COP29 is the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion and the Pacific Delegation Office.