COP29: LAST-MINUTE DEAL

The latest United Nations climate summit, COP29, has ended with an agreement, but still much disappointment and deep concern

 

The summit started with the president of the island state of Papua New Guinea remaining at home and declaring that the get-together of nearly 200 countries was “a waste of time.” Towards the end of the two-week conference, many of the thousands of delegates and observers denounced it as the worst climate summit ever. That too was perhaps an exaggeration.

 

The main objective of COP29 was to achieve a pledge from developed countries, which are responsible for most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, to contribute 1.3 trillion dollars a year to developing nations, which are suffering most from climate change.

 

Anonio Guterres, Portugal’s former prime minister, now secretary-general of the United Nations, warned in an opening speech at the conference: “Pay up or humanity will pay up.”

Guterres wrapped up his thoughts just before the scheduled end of the summit in Azerbaijan on Friday by calling on world leaders to overcome their disagreement s.

 

The supposed last draft text came up with the figure of 250 billion dollars each year for the developing and most vulnerable countries. It was denounced by the poorer nations as “totally unacceptable and inadequate.” Delegates collectively walked out of the meeting.

 

After much wrangling, the richer countries agreed to triple their present annual public financing to 300 billion each year by 2035. While the rich are largely to blame for global warming, they are having to deal domestically with inflation and other economic problems.

 

Portugal and most other countries in the world sent leaders or senior delegates to Baku, the capital it of Azerbaijan, but from the very start it seemed obvious that a country like Azerbaijan so economically dependent on fossil fuels  was an inappropriate place to hold this summit.

The COP president of the host country said that oil and gas were “a gift from God.” He did not mention that non-fossil energy sources may also be a gift from God that could help save humanity from global warming extinction. Instead he announced that his country plans to expand its gas production. Saudi Arabia also infuriated many summit attendees with its determination to continue to use fossil fuels

 

Portugal, like the great majority of the countries in the world, is horrified by such attitudes. And now we await President-elect Donald Thump.