By Len Port

Almost 200 countries were invited to participate in the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024.

Scientists maintain that a climate catastrophe is still preventable but only if decisive actions are taken immediately. This is the daunting challenge facing the UN COP29 summit this week.

Portugal’s former prime minister, now UN Secretary-General António Guterres, spoke at the opening ceremony on Monday, stating, “We are in the final countdown to limit global climate temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And time is not on our side.”

Mr. Guterres emphasized, “With the hottest day on record, the hottest months on record… this is almost certainly going to be the hottest year on record.” He added, “Climate devastation is evident: Families fleeing before the next hurricane hits; workers and pilgrims collapsing from unbearable heat; floods decimating communities and infrastructure; children going to bed hungry as droughts destroy crops. And all of these catastrophes, and more, are worsened by human-induced climate change. No country is spared.”

However, many world leaders have opted not to attend the conference. Neither President Biden nor Vice President Harris are present, though Biden sent an envoy who described global warming as “a life-or-death fight.” President-elect Donald Trump, a known skeptic of climate change, is also absent and has threatened to dismantle the international climate initiatives that began with the Paris Agreement.

Other notable absentees include Britain’s King Charles III, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Russian President Putin, French President Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. China is represented not by President Xi Jinping but by his deputy, Han Zheng. The island nation of Papua New Guinea refused to participate, calling the summit “a waste of time.”

The host country, Azerbaijan, remains a major exporter of oil and gas—fossil fuels that significantly contribute to global warming. In contrast, Portugal has recently accelerated efforts to reduce its reliance on these fuels.

Island nations are particularly vulnerable to climate change, mainly due to rising sea levels that threaten to engulf them.

Portugal, although a mainland country, faces considerable threats from wildfires, droughts, and flooding. Rising sea levels could also devastate Portugal’s low-lying coastal areas, eroding beaches that support its tourism industry.

A priority topic this week is the controversial financial arrangement needed for wealthier countries to assist poorer nations bearing the brunt of greenhouse gas emissions largely caused by China, North America, Russia, India, and wealthy European nations. In 2019, richer nations committed to providing $100 billion annually to support these affected regions.

“The rich cause the problem, the poor pay the price,” said Mr. Guterres.

Let’s see what solutions the COP29 conference can bring. An update will follow early next week.

 
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Len Port, born in Northern Ireland, worked as a news reporter and correspondent, mainly in Hong Kong and South Africa, before moving to Portugal many years ago.