COP29, which took place from 11 to 22 November, took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. Like all COPs, which take place annually, COP29’s purpose is to discuss plans for tackling climate change. COP stands for Conference of the Parties and is the main decision-making body for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
As a company that is focused on sustainable heating methods, we have an interest in what is being discussed and how various nations are tacking climate change to help reach Net Zero by 2050.
Here are some key points from COP29:
Developing Countries Dissatisfied – Developing countires complained that the $300bn a year in climate funding they will receive by 2035 is a “paltry sum”, much to the amazement of many rich developed countries. This is a significant improvement, as currently the contribution to developing countries to help fight climate change is $100bn a year.
Azerbaijan Lack of COP Involvement – The hosts, Azerbaijan, have no significant history of involvement in the COP process, which showed during the event and proved a challenge, especially when the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev described oil and gas as a “gift from god”. A number of senior negotiators voiced their frustrations with what some coined the worst COP in a decade.
The Role of US – With Trump becoming president in January, there is much debate over what role the US will play for the next four years during Trumps period in power. Trump is a climate change sceptic, and so it’s believed that China could become the next climate leader. Although China is still classified by the UN as a developing country, it has no formal obligation to lower greenhouse gas emissions or provide financial help to poorer countries. While Trump was not at COP29, negotiators needed to ensure that the years of climate negotiations were not undone during the next four years he is in power. This is why richer nations wanted to commit to raising funding by 2035 – a date that will allow the US to contribute again once Trump has left office.
Vocal Campaigners – COP29 played host to more aggressive NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) and campaigners. John Podesta, the US climate envoy, was reportedly chased out of a meeting area with campaigners chanting “shame”.
Are we winning against climate change?
The effects of climate change have already been evident in various months this year. March represented the 10th consecutive monthly record in a warming phase, beating all previous records. Over the past 12 months, average global temperatures have been 1.58C above pre-industrial levels. The Paris Agreement, set in 2015, set a limit of 1.5C above pre-industrialised levels.
According to climate scientists, the UK will not hit climate change targets. According to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), only around 33% of the emission reductions needed to achieve the UK’s 2030 target are supported by credible plans. There is a more positive story however – our emissions are now less than half the levels they were back in 1990.
So the answer, currently, is not really. We still have a lot of work to do and time is against us. On a global level, we need to continute to make the move to renewable energy. Here is what we are doing in the UK:
Moving to Renewable Energy
There is a range of renewable energy sources that can and will replace fossil fuels, which will all help get the UK back on track to its 2030 target. In 1991, just 2% of electricity production in the UK was from renewable energy. In 2023/24, this is now:
Wind power contributed 29.4%
Biomass energy, the burning of renewable organic materials, contributed 5%
Solar power contributed 4.9%
Hydropower, including tidal, contributed 1.8%
Biomass energy includes wood – the key component of any wood-burning stove. So, can you classify wood-burning stoves as using a renewable energy source? Absolutely! Wood-burning stoves have the lowest carbon-emission heating available in homes.
Climate change is the largest threat to the planet, and change needs to happen quicker than ever with everyone and every country making an effort.
