Agenda Dispute Pauses Opening of COP29 Climate Talks in Azerbaijan

The 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, began on Monday, but its opening plenary has been paused due to a dispute over the agenda between developed and developing nations.

The high-profile event, featuring policymakers, activists, and heads of state, was expected to set a new course for tackling global climate challenges.

However, disagreements quickly emerged, overshadowing the handover of COP leadership from Sultan Al Jaber, president of COP28, to Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, who will preside over COP29 for the next year.

The agenda dispute centers around the UAE dialogue on implementing outcomes from the global stocktake, a process established to measure collective progress toward climate goals.

Developed nations, represented by the European Union (EU), are pushing for these stocktake outcomes to be incorporated across all relevant work programs and bodies, covering areas such as mitigation, finance, and adaptation.

European leaders argue that tracking implementation across these issues is crucial for ensuring accountability and progress.

On the other hand, developing countries contend that the UAE dialogue should concentrate exclusively on climate finance, an issue they argue is critical for achieving meaningful action on climate change.

With many developing nations facing disproportionate impacts from climate change and limited resources to address them, they are prioritising financial support as a core focus of COP29.

The dispute reflects ongoing tensions between developed and developing nations, who often have differing priorities when it comes to climate action.

In 2023, countries agreed on the need to transition away from fossil fuels and to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.

Chioma Kalu

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