Climate Leaders Declare COP29 in Azerbaijan 'Unfit', Urge Shift to Action and End to Petrostate Hosts

Nov 15, 2024, 11:23 AM

Leading climate experts and former leaders have declared that the UN's COP climate talks are "no longer fit for purpose" and require urgent reform. In an open letter published midway through COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, signed by more than 20 experts including former UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, they stated, "This meeting no longer serves its purpose." They called for a shift from negotiations to the delivery of concrete action and criticized the hosting of the conference in petrostates like Azerbaijan, where the hosts described gas as a "gift from God." The group urged that future UN climate conferences should be held only in countries that support climate action and are working towards giving up fossil fuels. Reflecting that "after 29 COPs, it's hard to disagree," they emphasized that while the COP process has achieved much, fundamental changes are needed for it to remain relevant and effective in addressing the climate crisis.