Closing summary
It is after 8pm in Baku now and time for us to wrap up the live blog, as the estimated 67,000 or so delegates, lobbyists, journalists and others do their evening stuff (brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed, I hope). But before we go, here is a summary of the day’s main news lines from the summit.
The UK’s ambitious commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 81% must be “the starting point, not the finish line”, commentators have said. The commitment was officially delivered to Cop29 in a statement by Keir Starmer this afternoon. It has been broadly welcomed.
Starmer made the commitment in one of dozens of statements given by national leaders on the second day of the the climate summit in Baku. But it is only now, with the big cheeses on the way home, that the serious negotiations will get underway.
Mia Mottley said the world must take radical action on raising the money needed to fund climate adaptation. “These extreme weather events that the world is facing daily suggest that humanity and the planet are hurtling towards catastrophe,” the prime minister of Barbados said.
Hilda Heine, president of Marshall Islands, called out rich countries for failing to finance cuts to pollution but encouraged poor countries to still put forward ambitious climate action plans. “It is in our blood to know when a tide is turning,” she said. “And on climate, the tide is turning today.”
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, spoke on behalf of the EU to warn against war and present itself as a credible partner to poor countries. He called out “violent imperialism, endless cycles of vengeance” as a driver of wars that have driven the world to the brink.
2024 had been “a masterclass in climate destruction”, Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general said, as he addressed world leaders who had gathered in Baku for the summit. “But there is every reason to hope,” Guterres said.
The UN’s top climate official, Simon Stiell, warned world leaders “worsening climate impacts will put inflation on steroids”. “The climate crisis is a cost-of-living crisis, because climate disasters are driving up costs for households and businesses,” he said, describing it as an “economy killer”.
The UNHCR, the UN’s refugee body, released a report saying climate breakdown is making life even more difficult for people fleeing war and persecution. It finds that three-quarters of the 120 million displaced people around the world are in countries severely affected by climate breakdown.
The UN gave the provisional number of participants in this year’s conference as 66,778. This includes everyone from heads of government to security staff to journalists. The number was significantly down from the 83,884 who attended last year’s talks in the United Arab Emirates.
A new analysis found social media platforms are becoming “dangerously polluted” by falsehoods about the climate crisis. The actions of big oil and big tech are helping reframe extreme weather events and sow conspiracy theories about renewable energy, the report found.
US president Joe Biden’s climate policy was designed to outlast his administration, the White House’s top climate adviser said at Cop29 on Tuesday, writes Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter for the Guardian US.
“The way we built climate action in the United States was akin to the public sector coming in with booster packs on a private sector rocket,” Ali Zaidi told reporters.
The Biden administration’s landmark policy, the Inflation Reduction Act, provided billions of dollars in tax credits, loans, and other incentives for the private sector to increase its green spending. But the recently re-elected former president Donald Trump has vowed to claw back the policies “unspent” funds, sparking alarm from the climate movement.
“What we will see is whether we’ve achieved escape velocity or not and how quickly the booster packs are about to fall off,” Zaidi said.
Despite his record incentives for carbon-free energy and green technology, under the Biden administration, oil and gas production soared to record levels. When asked about the uptick, Zaidi deflected.
“The US has in the last four years has doubled its decarbonization pace from below 20% to above 40% in 2030, relative to 2005 levels,” he said. “If every country did that and did it again in the next five to 10 years, we would be headed where we need to head.”
Asked about the lame duck administration’s ability to influence climate finance negotiations at the international climate talks in Baku, Zaidi asked reporters to “keep in mind that we’re talking about a climate finance goal for 2035.”
Despite his optimism, Zaidi said he did not “mean to sugarcoat the result of the election.”
“Leadership matters and there’s no talking around that,” he said.
Large parts of Greenland and west Antarctica will melt if the world exceeds 1.5C of global heating, a report released this morning by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative has warned.
This will lead to more than 10 metres of sea level rise even if temperatures later fall, which will have catastrophic effects for the billions of people living at low elevations. About three-quarters of large cities sit less than 10 metres below sea level, and many metropolises including Shanghai, Bangkok, Manila, Miami, Osaka, Alexandria and Rio de Janeiro will be severely affected.
The report also finds that high mountain glaciers in Asia are expected to lose about half their ice, increasing the risk of disastrous floods from glacial lakes and irreparably affecting the water cycle downstream, where many communities rely on water that originates in these areas.
It also warns that emissions from melting permafrost are likely to reach a tipping point and create a cycle of emissions that will not be able to be stopped for one to two centuries, meaning enormous levels of carbon will have to be removed from the atmosphere by future generations in order just to stand still, let alone make progress.
UK commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions must be 'starting point, not finish line', climate advisers say
More reaction has been rolling in on the UK’s new commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions, which were trailed to my colleague, Fiona Harvey, last night, and then finally delivered by Keir Starmer, the prime minister, in a statement in Baku this afternoon.
Shruti Agarwal, senior adviser on climate change and sustainable economies at Save the Children, said:
The UK government’s commitment to an 81% emissions reduction by 2035 is an encouraging step. But let this be the starting point, not the finish line, in the UK’s ambition to protect children who continue to bear the brunt of the climate crisis
COP29 is an opportunity to build on this global leadership with further meaningful action on climate both in the UK and around the world.
It’s time we stand with children and put their voices at the heart of every aspect of climate change decision-making and financing.
As COP29 progresses we hope to see the UK drive forward discussions for a new international climate finance goal and action in the UK ensuring a fair, just transition for all.
Friederike Roder, vice president of global policy and advocacy, Global Citizen, said:
The UK’s ambitious new NDC sends a powerful message that climate action is unstoppable, and that climate leadership can and will be found across the world
The UK’s decision to listen to climate scientists, and to citizens, and reduce emissions by 81% will cement its position as a global leader in climate action. The decision to do so early - at this critical moment - is equally important in building momentum and setting an example for others to follow.
Like all commitments at COP, the proof will be in the delivery. But by setting early goals and outlining ambitious targets, the UK is showing much needed leadership at this important moment. We hope this leads to all nations setting ambitious, high action NDCs that keep the world on track for 1.5 degrees, and encourages those here at COP29 to deliver an NCQG which provides the vital finance to achieve these goals.
But the UK’s job isn’t done: so far, it has not made any new commitments on international public finance for climate. The poorest countries in the world urgently need additional support to fund their NDCs, ensure a just energy transition and withstand natural disasters. The UK could also show leadership in mobilising new sources of finances by joining the Task Force on Global Solidarity Levies.
Frans Berkhout, professor of environment, society and climate at King’s College London, said:
The Prime Minister’s announcement on UK climate action at COP29 in Baku is highly significant. The 81% emissions reduction target for 2035 is tougher than the existing target.
Mr Starmer aims to recapture the UK’s leadership position on climate precisely at a moment of peril for climate policy following Donald Trump’s election. It commits the UK to more rapid investments in renewables and to tackling the really hard parts of the pathway to net-zero – transport, buildings and food.
As Starmer says, these represent huge opportunities, but delivery will be complex and is high-stakes politically.
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Canada tells methane emitters 'you can run but you can't hide' as satellite monitoring tracks culprits
“You can run but you can’t hide,” is the warning Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of environment and climate change, gave to methane emitters at the Cop29 summit on Tuesday, writes Damian Carrington, environment editor.
Satellite monitoring now enables leaks to be spotted from space and UN and other initiatives are now identifying culprits and demanding action. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over 20 years, and causes about a third of global heating.
The good news is that, unlike CO2, methane breaks down in the atmosphere quickly and therefore cuts rapidly slow warming. Fossil fuel exploitation causes a lot of leaks, but these are often cheap to fix. Former UN climate chief Patricia Espionosa told delegates that cutting methane is “essential” to taming the climate crisis.
US special climate envoy John Podesta announced the implementation of fines for large methane leakers. A major leak in Texas in 2022 released 147 tonnes an hour, for example, will cost the operator $220,000 per hour from 2026, which should get their attention.
Cop29 president Muktar Bubayev said methane emissions were still going “in the wrong direction” and that this year’s focus was on the methane pouring from waste dumps as food rots. The Guardian revealed in February more than 1200 huge methane leaks from dumps. China’s special envoy, Liu Zhenmin, said it was working to cut emissions from coal mines by two-thirds.
The World Bank has also targeted methane reductions and president Ajay Banga highlighted projects in dozens of countries. Methane emissions from cattle were being reduced with better breed and feeds, as well as manure management, in China and Brazil, he said, and emissions from rice growing were being cut with more frugal irrigation in India and Bangladesh. Leaks from oil and gas pipelines were also being tackled in Iraq and Bangladesh, both major emitters.
The UK’s Ed Miliband summarised the action being taken on different greenhouse gases by saying: “CO2 is the marathon, methane is the sprint.”
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The crown prince of Jordan, Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, criticised the Israel-Gaza war as well as stressing the climate threats to his country, one of several world leaders at Cop29 to address both issues together, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
“How can we work together for our shared future when some are deemed unworthy of life?” he asked, criticising the international community for standing by as Palestinians have been killed.
He added that war compounds environmental threats, particularly for refugees, who make up an estimated 1 in 3 people in Jordan.
“Our inability to collectively do what is right is turning us into passive observers,” he said. “No-one is a bystander in the fight for life on earth. That means fighting for climate change, fighting for peace and fighting to alleviate human suffering together. Because every life is worth fighting for.”
Starmer unveils ambitious new UK emissions commitment
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has told delegates at Cop29 that the UK will set an ambitious new target to slash carbon emissions by 81%, as he pledged the country would stand alongside countries “on the front line of the climate crisis”.
The announcement made the UK one of the first countries to announce an official UN carbon cutting plan — officially known as a nationally determined contribution. The blueprints are not due until February next year.
Starmer said: “Today I can confirm, three months ahead of the deadline, the UK’s 2035 international target, our nationally determined contribution, to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% on 1990 levels.
“And we urge all parties to come forward with ambitious targets of their own, as we all agreed at the last Cop.”
After listing some of the green energy policies already pledged or enacted since his coming to power this summer, Starmer promised the UK would support other countries in making a transition to cleaner energy sources.
A new capital market mechanism was launching today on the London Stock Exchange, exploiting the UK’s power as a financial centre to finance the green transition.
“Climate action is at the heart of this government’s mission for the protection and prosperity of Britain and the world, writ large across our domestic and international priorities,” he said.
“We are taking the action needed to protect our planet and its people.”
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Alexander De Croo, prime minister of Belgium, has spelled out in simple words the state of progress and the task ahead, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
“This is not a time to falter. Emissions continue to rise and we see more and more destructive climate disasters,” he said. “If we do not alter our policies, we will see an increase of 3C by the end of the century.
He added: “Meetings like these are often perceived as talking shops. And yes, these strenuous negotiations are far from perfect. But if you compare climate policy now to a decade ago, we are in a different world.”
De Croo also pointed to two overlooked aspects of the energy transition – simply using less, and building vital but overlooked infrastructure.
“The safest, cheapest and cleanest energy is the one we don’t use,” said de Croo. “We must do more on energy efficiency, it’s a win-win.”
He added that the development of electricity grids and storage capacity had failed to keep pace with the rise in renewables.
Mia Mottley: "Humanity and the planet are hurtling towards catastrophe"
Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados, said in her speech that the world must take radical action on raising the money needed to fund climate adaptation.
She said: “We are in a season of superlatives and the reality is that these extreme weather events that the world is facing daily suggest that humanity and the planet are hurtling towards catastrophe.
“The extreme weather requires from us a serious commitment at this Cop with respect to new collective quantified goals that enable us to reverse the current trajectory and to fund mitigation, adaptation and, of course, loss and damage.”
Mottley is a legendary figure at UN climate talks. For years, she has spearheaded a push to transform how global financial institutions handle climate funding. The mission has borne fruit, the Guardian’s Fiona Harvey wrote this week, since the new World Bank president recently promised to take a more active role in climate finance.
But in her speech, Mottley criticised a lack of funding for loss of damage, pointing out the fund has attracted pledges of only $700m so far: “And this is despite the numerous crises besetting small island developing states. And, indeed, in our own region, Hurricane Beryl, which has caused serious damage to countries, from housing to public infrastructure.”
Under Mottley’s leadership, Barbados removed the British queen as head of state, become a fully fledged republic.
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The president of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, said he was coming with a “terrible truth” in a fast-paced speech that took aim at climate deniers and laggards on cutting pollution, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
“We need drastic measures,” he said. “We need to transform.”
Late last month, catastrophic floods hit southern and eastern Spain killed 220 people, after rains that would have been weaker and less likely had people not heated the planet with fossil fuel pollution. Sánchez has announced €10bn in aid to help rebuild the disaster zone.
“This societal threat is obvious to everyone,” said Sánchez. “But at this crucial time for humanity, we are seeing governments hesitate and slow down when they should be accelerating. Some are even denying evidence and turning back.”
Just a quick reminder for readers that if you want to watch the Cop29 leaders’ speeches for yourself, you can click on the image at the top of the blog.
Ahmed Abdullah Afif Didi, vice president of Seychelles, has called on rich countries to move beyond pledges and decide on mechanisms to release funds promised at previous Cops, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
He said the Seychelles – an island nation with a land area as small as the German city of Munich but a marine area the size of France and Turkey – is punching above its weight but having to pay for the costs of rising sea levels.
“Everything is being threatened,” he said. “We have to relocate our houses.”
He asked where the country was expected to get the money to pay for it.
“Just like the gong went now,” Didi said as an automated buzzer marked the end of his speaking slot, “if this could have been done – if every time it made a boom we released a million dollars – then I think this afternoon Seychelles would have all the money it needed to restore a lot of its damaged environment.”
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev told Cop29 earlier today that fossil fuels are a “gift of God”. Rev Fletcher Harper, of GreenFaith, disgrees:
More fossil fuels today are literally the highway to hell for billions of people and the planet, certainly not a gift from God. Renewables for all would be today’s sacred gift.
Brazil’s vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, has pointed to the start of the climate conventions in Rio in 1992 that have led to delegates sitting in Baku in 2024, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
“Each step along this path represents both progress and hesitations of multilateralism in the task of achieving common environmental goals and our ability to rise to the challenge,” he said.
He said Brazil is recognised as an “environmental powerhouse” and described it as a leader in food security with green and efficient agriculture.
The Amazon rainforest, most of which lies in Brazil, is being destroyed by loggers, miners, farmers and ranchers, many of whom were emboldened to chop and burn trees under former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Earlier this year, my Amazon-based colleague Jon Watts wrote powerfully about how optimism for the new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is drying up.
Earlier we reported the powerful speech of Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, a low-lying island state facing severe threats from the rising waters caused by climate breakdown.
She is one of only eight women leaders representing their countries at Cop29 – nine tomorrow when Giorgia Meloni of Italy is due to arrive. Observers have raised eyebrows at the lack of gender equality at the summit.
“Once again, women are being silenced and cut out of critical negotiations around the climate catastrophe and the future of our planet,” said Helen Pankhurst, senior advisor on gender equality at CARE International UK. She added:
Women and girls are contributing the least to the climate crisis, yet world-over they are paying the highest price. If we want to see a fair outcome from climate negotiations, which make a genuine difference, we’ve got to start seeing women represented equally at the very highest levels.
We are currently hearing from Philip Isdor Mpango, vice president of Tanzania. It is not clear why Samia Suluhu Hassan, the country’s president, is not representing Tanzania.
The president of Sudan, First Lt. General Abdel-Fattah AlBurhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, has joined several leaders in criticising the effects of war, calling his opponents a threat to the country along with climate change, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
Sudan is in the grip of what the UN has described as “one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history”, after a civil war broke out in April and both sides were accused of war crimes. It has contributed almost nothing to heating the planet but is one of the most vulnerable to extreme weather made worse by climate change.
“Climate change is a key priority for Sudan, because it is vital for its national development,” said Al-Burhan.
“Climate change is not just changing the planet, it is changing children,” Abheet Solomon from Unicef told Cop29 on Tuesday, writes Damian Carrington, environment editor. He said children – the future of humanity – are disproportionately affected due to their fast-growing bodies.
“The biggest risks to children come from extreme heat, from droughts and storms, from wildfires, from air pollution,” he said. “These hazards are linked to pregnancy complications, adverse birth outcomes, child malnutrition, killer infectious diseases like malaria, other diseases like asthma and depression, impacts on brain development and mental health.”
“I give this litany because it is important to emphasise that we are already seeing the impacts on children’s health,” Solomon said. “The purpose of climate action is to protect humanity’s future, its children, and therefore we are failing children if we do not keep the 1.5C promise.”
Everyone’s health is affected by the climate crisis, said Dr Maria Neira, from the World Health Organisation: “We say health is the argument for climate action. The WHO community is here to make sure that all the negotiators are aware that when they are negotiating emissions, they are negotiating with our health.”
“Climate change is making us sick, as simple as that,” she said. “This diagnosis is clearly based on science.” She said air pollution from burning fossil fuels kills 7 million people a year, while the climate crisis also harms people via heatwaves and other extreme weather, increasing the transmission of deadly infectious diseases, displacing people and impacting their mental health, and as well as making the production of healthy food harder.
“But if we [fight] climate change, the health benefits that we will unlock can be enormous” Neira, said. She highlighted sustainable travel, such as cycling and walking: “If we reduce sedentary lifestyles, we reduce all the associated diseases associated with this lack of an active life.”
A special report on climate change and health produced for Cop29 found that just five climate-related actions could save 2m lives a year. The most impactful action would be phasing out hundreds of billions of dollars of fossil fuel subsidies and taxing fossil fuels, saving 1.2m lives a year.
The other actions are heatwave warning systems, phasing out fossil fuel use in primary healthcare facilities and in homes, and protecting clean water and sanitation from climate damage.
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Charles Michel, president of the European Council, spoke on behalf of the EU to warn against war and present itself as a credible partner to poor countries, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
He called out “violent imperialism, endless cycles of vengeance” as a driver of wars that have driven the world to the brink. He contrasted it with European beliefs in a rule-based world that promotes “the strength of law, not the law of strength.”
Europe has made some of the greatest progress worldwide in cutting its planet-heating pollution, with emissions in the EU falling a staggering 8% last year, but it is still not on track to reach its 2030 targets.
Michel also praised Europe’s climate finance contributions, a sore spot with poorer nations who have highlighted the repeated failure of rich countries to stump up cash to help countries clean their economies and adapt to extreme weather.
“You can count on the European Union,” he said. “We are stepping up to the plate with financing: $31bn. That’s more than our fair share and we are calling on everyone to follow our example.” Last year, the EU dropped its opposition to a fund to pay for the damage done by climate change.
Michel called for “boldness, rather than procrastination” as he repeated calls to expand the donor base of contributors for climate finance.
The EU’s relations with Azerbaijan have invited separate accusations of hypocrisy. In its bid to ditch Russian gas, the EU has encouraged Azerbaijan to increase its own production. But it is unwilling to finance their fossil fuel projects because they fall foul of climate considerations. The upshot could be saddling Azerbaijan with “stranded assets” if the EU’s hunger for gas falls in line with its climate goals.
Hilda Heine, president of Marshall Islands, called out rich countries for not stumping up enough money to finance cuts to pollution but encouraged poor countries to still put forward ambitious climate action plans, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
“It is in our blood to know when a tide is turning,” she said. “And on climate, the tide is turning today.”
Heine used her speech to call out those planning to leave the conference and mine more coal and pump more gas, highlighting the “fallacy that their short-term interests are worth the destruction on their doorstep and they will escape without blame.”
The Marshall Islands extend across a stretch of the Pacific Ocean. Since they sit only a few feet above sea level, they are existentially threatened by climate breakdown-fuelled rising seas.
Two years ago, its climate envoy wrote a powerful essay for the Guardian asking: “How do we mourn an island?”
Heine, whose speech overran the three-minute time slot by 5-and-a-half minutes, said she would look out for greenwashing. “The repercussions of low ambition and low action will only get worse.”
She ended with a Marshallese saying: “We are all on the same canoe, and we must all work together if we are to reach our destination.”
Mohamed Muizzu, president of the Maldives, called for nations to set a bold climate finance goal and slash emissions, writes Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter.
“The new climate finance goal must reflect the true scale of the climate crisis,” he said. “The need is in trillions [of dollars], not billions.”
He also critiqued climate talks participants for their limited progress on climate mitigation. “28 Cops later, emissions still rise,” he said.
The climate crisis poses an existential threat to the Maldives, which is responsible for just 0.003% of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the current rate of global warming, 80% of the Maldives could become uninhabitable by 2050, multiple studies have concluded.
“For us the environment and ocean are more than resources, they are our cultural identity,” Muizzu said. “Their protection remains our sacred duty.”
He added: “As we look around the globe we see funds flowing freely to wage war,” but not to fund climate finance.
Muizzu wrote in the Guardian earlier this year: “The international community must understand that we rely on external financing to prepare for and recover from the climate crisis that its overconsumption has caused.”
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The president of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, took a swipe at rich nations in his speech, writes Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter.
“People who are responsible for this are absent,” he said, noting that French president Emmanual Macron was not present for the talks. “How effective are our climate negotiations if the president of France is not even present?”
Lukashenko claimed his nation is meeting its climate goals.
“There is nothing to hold against our country. We are strictly complying with all our obligations but since there is this deep seated bureaucracy in the UN secretariat it’s almost impossible to say anything substantive,” he said. But the nation has been criticized for its failure to transition to renewable energy.
“The prime task is to restructure national economies, first and foremost agriculture,” he said – an ironic statement from a heavily fossil-fuel dependent country.
Lukashenko called for “not mere words but deeds,” particularly when it comes to climate finance. “Those who have to pay, must pay,” he said.
Belarus is a close ally of Russia and the two bordering nations’ energy markets are deeply intertwined. Belarus refineries use Russian oil for a feedstock, while Russian oil companies purchase gas from the refineries. Some countries are working to disconnect their energy systems from the two nations’.
Lukashenko’s relationship with Russia – as well as his treatment of his critics – has long sparked outrage. This year Lukashenko signed a law granting himself lifelong immunity from criminal prosecution while also preventing exiled opposition from running for president in Belarus.
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There have been some positive responses to the UK’s new commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Many are pleased at the ambitious goal announced by Keir Starmer, who has said the country will aim to slash emissions by 81% on 1990 levels by 2035, as a sign the UK will take up the baton of climate leadership, with the US almost certain to drop it once Donald Trump becomes president again in January.
But they also warn that the UK is currently way off track in reaching even its existing, less ambitious commitment.
Kate Blagojevic, Associate Director of Europe at 350.org said:
Getting the UK’s more ambitious climate goals out of the door early is a good move by Keir Starmer as it shows willingness to show his cards on an international stage - this is much needed to encourage others to do so.
The UK has the potential to become a true global climate leader on the world stage but isn’t quite there yet. For Keir Starmer to claim the coveted mantle in time, the more ambitious emissions reduction targets need to get back on track and be delivered on time without relying on CCS and nuclear power.
While Keir Starmer might balk at the cost of doing the right thing, the private sector cannot be relied on to deliver what is needed. But he could force billionaires to pay the tax they owe and choose to channel the increased revenue into delivering real climate action at home and globally so we can hit these targets and pay our fair share. When he delivers this, then the UK will truly be at the forefront of global climate leadership.
Debbie Hillier, Mercy Corps Global Climate Policy Lead, said:
We appreciate the UK Government showing up strong at COP29, aligning their commitment with the credible recommendations of the Climate Change Committee and setting an 81% emissions reduction target by 2035.
This signals a positive shift in tone and transparency from the UK, showing that they are not shying away from the urgent challenges we face.
It also sets a strong bar for other countries, encouraging them to develop NDCs in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement and get the world on track for 1.5 degrees warming. This needs to be matched with equally ambitious action from the UK on climate finance to enable these NDCs to be implemented.
Technical issues at Cop29 have sparked concerns about a lack of transparency from civil society participants.
On Tuesday, observers from around the globe gathered to hear negotiations on new goalpost setting for climate finance, and were ushered into an overflow room. Upon entry, they found the sound was not working for some time, making it impossible to hear negotiators’ conversations.
“I would think that’s definitely a concern,” said Laura Schaefer, who attended Cop29 with the young Icelandic environmentalists, as part of her home country’s party. “We traveled all the way here to hear what they’re talking about and to be able to go back home with some new insights.”
At UN climate negotiations, observers act as informal watchdogs who can help ensure proceedings reflect the concerns of vulnerable communities.
Even when the audio of negotiations is available but spotty, Schaefer said, it threatens accessibility, “especially for people that struggle with the English language.”
“It’s super important to be able to hear the kind of perspectives that there are in the room,” she said.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, president of Türkiye, has used his speech to praise Turkey’s progress in cutting pollution, writes Ajit Niranjan, Europe environment correspondent.
Turkey is among the countries where the effects of climate change have been felt most strongly, said Erdoğan, who listed a stream of policies the country has introduced to cut pollution – including a zero-waste project from his spouse.
An assessment from Climate Action Tracker in April last year described Turkey’s latest action plan as “critically insufficient”, with policies to cut pollution that are inconsistent with the Paris climate agreement.
The speech, which overran the 3-minute time slot by 2 minutes, also called out Israeli attacks in Gaza and Lebanon, which he said were leading to “chemical penetrating soil and underground water resources” that were harming the future of Gazan children.
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We now have the video stream of the leaders’ speeches available to stream from this blog page. Just click the photograph at the top and you can watch live.
Hi! This is Damien Gayle taking over the liveblog for the rest of the day, with thanks to Alan for getting things started this morning.
We are currently awaiting reports of the leaders’ speeches to come through from our team in Baku. But I’ll also be doing my best to keep abreast of other developments from the conference, and related news around the world.
Remember, if you have any comments, tips or suggestions you can reach us at Cop29@theguardian.com.
Climate protesters gathered outside Scotland’s top civil court this morning in support of a court case to stop the Rosebank oil field, which starts today.
The demonstration outside the court of session in Edinburgh earlier on Tuesday was led by Greenpeace and Uplift, who have brought a judicial review to stop the development of Rosebank and the Jackdaw gas field.
Rosebank is the UK’s biggest undeveloped oil and gas field, and is located 80 miles off the coast of Shetland, with 80% owned by the Norwegian state-owned oil giant Equinor and 20% by the Israeli firm Ithica. The Jackdaw gas field is in the North Sea, owned by BG International Limited, an affiliate of Shell UK.
Crowds chanted “I believe we will win” and “this is where we draw the line on fossil fuels and climate crimes” while holding a long knitted red scarf across the entrance to the court.
Lauren MacDonald, lead campaigner of #StopRosebank, a coalition campaign group against the oil field, addressed the demonstrators, “Building this movement to what is now a coalition of over 150,000 individuals, 275 organisations, cross party politicians from every major political party, climate scientists, doctors, faith leaders, farmers, grandparents and young people all of whom are asking why on earth is it that we continue to approve massive fossil fuel projects when we know it will only put us in much more danger
“If we win this case then it will continue to set that precedent that we will stop all new oil drilling in the UK.”
She thanked Sarah Finch, who fronted the Finch v Surrey county council lawsuit at the supreme court to change the law on considerations of the future impact of fossil fuel projects, for coming to support the demonstration.
The leaders’ speeches are finally beginning, and first up is Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who says his country is pursuing carbon neutrality by 2060.
He says the new collective quantified goal, or NCQG, should prioritise the regions most affected by climate change, including landlocked developing countries. He says central Asia accounts for just 1% of global emissions but faces many serious climate risks.
Tokayev says Kazakhstan is ideally situation for carbon farming and “invites all parties to explore this avenue.” He adds that the country is “ready to be a major supplier of energy transition minerals with many opportunities for corporations”.
He ends by warning that the Caspian Sea is in danger, and urges countries to collaborate on working to save it.
“Worsening climate impacts will put inflation on steroids,” says UN climate boss
“Worsening climate impacts will put inflation on steroids unless every country can take bolder climate action,” the UN’s top climate official Simon Stiell has warned world leaders at Cop29.
He follows his boss, UN secretary general António Guterres, in spurring the 200 gathered nations to reach a strong agreement at Cop29, especially on delivering the $1tn a year needed for climate action in developing countries.
“We used to talk about climate action as being mostly about saving future generations. But there has been a seismic shift in the global climate crisis,” he said. “Because the climate crisis is fast becoming an economy-killer, right now, today, in this political cycle.”
“The climate crisis is a cost-of-living crisis, because climate disasters are driving up costs for households and businesses,” he said, appealing to leaders in terms that might resonate given that their recent political fortunes have been dominated by the soaring prices endured by their citizens.
“Let’s learn the lessons from the pandemic when supply chains were smashed,” Stiell said. “Climate finance is global inflation insurance.”
He also made the positive economic case for climate action: “Cheap, clean energy can be the bedrock of your economies. It means more jobs, more growth, less pollution choking cities, healthier citizens and stronger businesses.”
Finally, he made a subtle reference to the recent election of climate change denier Donald Trump as US president, which prompted fears that the Cop process could be fatally undermined: “These are not easy times, but despair is not a strategy, and it’s not warranted. Our process is strong, and it will endure. After all, international cooperation is the only way humanity survives global warming.”
We are still waiting for the leaders’ speeches, but Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev used his keynote speech to describe his country’s oil and gas resources as a “gift from god”.
Aliyev also criticised western critics of his country’s oil and gas industry, saying it had been the victim of a “well-orchestrated campaign of slander and blackmail”, Reuters reported.
“As a president of Cop29 of course, we will be a strong advocate for green transition, and we are doing it. But at the same time, we must be realistic,” said Aliyev.
“Countries should not be blamed for having [oil and gas resources], and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market, because the market needs them. The people need them.”
He singled out the United States, the world’s largest historic carbon emitter, and the European Union for particular criticism.
“Unfortunately, double standards, a habit to lecture other countries, and political hypocrisy became kind of modus operandi for some politicians, state-controlled NGOs and fake news media in some western countries,” he said.
Keir Starmer held a meeting with Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank, at Cop29 on Tuesday. The UK is to be the host city for a new climate fund set up by the International Finance Corporation, an arm of the World Bank.
The Climate Investment Fund will be listed on the London Stock Exchange, selling bonds to institutional investors which will then be used to finance climate schemes in the developing world. It will invest in climate, nature and green energy projects, and will aim to raise $75bn over 10 years. The UK’s role in this is to provide the financial markets expertise, and the UK government calculates that it will generate jobs in the City of London, and the UK’s broader finance sector.
A spokesperson for the prime minister told the Guardian: “They agreed on the importance of mobilising private finance to strengthen action to tackle the climate challenge, and the prime minister welcomed the World Bank’s ambition in this area. The prime minister said he was delighted to announce the launch of the new CIF Capital Market Mechanism which will list on the London Stock Exchange. He thanked the president for his support and engagement in this area, and welcomed the confidence this showed in the UK’s economy. The prime minister said that this demonstrated London as a green finance capital, and bolstered Britain as an attractive place to invest in the future.”
Starmer will announce the UK’s carbon-cutting plans, called a nationally determined contribution (NDC), on Tuesday afternoon in Baku. As revealed by the Guardian last night, this will be a pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 81% compared to 1990 levels by 2035. This is likely to be one of the strongest NDCs to emerge from the Cop29 conference, as several others that have so far been submitted – by Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates and Brazil - have been judged weak by NGOs.
Starmer will also confirm that the Labour government will honour the commitment to provide £11.6bn in climate finance by 2026 that was made under its Conservative predecessor.
The prime minister was notably cagey when asked by journalists on Tuesday morning whether the UK’s carbon-cutting commitments would require lifestyle changes. He said his government would “not tell people how to live their life”.
Yesterday’s opening plenary was delayed by several hours due to behind-the-scenes negotiations and it now seems today’s leaders’ speeches are also being delayed by about half an hour. Venue staff are still conducting sound checks, and the live feed has changed to a holding screen. Our reporters are still queuing to get into the room so it may be a little while yet before the speeches start.
Donald Trump’s successful election campaign was bolstered by the support of Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X and one of the platforms that are becoming “dangerously polluted” by falsehoods about the climate crisis, according to a new analysis.
The actions of big oil and big tech are helping reframe extreme weather events and sow conspiracy theories about renewable energy, the report by the Climate Action Against Disinformation group found.
As Cop29 kicks off, the group states, “the consequences of climate change are now more extreme, and so too is the nature and ubiquity of mis- and disinformation.”
A small number of “super spreaders” are helping distribute debunked claims about clean energy and electric vehicles on social media platforms, the report finds, with disasters such as wildfires and floods being used to ferment opposition to climate policies and even threats of violence against emergency workers.
Fossil fuel companies are still welcomed as advertisers, too, with Meta, owner of Facebook, receiving at least $17.6m for ads that received more than 700 million impressions over the past year, according to the report. These adverts depict fossil fuels as essential for energy needs and push for industry-friendly policies.
The prevalence of online misinformation about the climate crisis is not new, but threatens broader public support for climate measures, the group said.
“The further decay of information integrity is not a foregone conclusion, but we must confront threats now, before the damage is beyond repair,” the report warns.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said he will not be “telling people how to live their lives” in order to reach the UK’s new 81% emissions reduction target, but said it was “achievable”.
The prime minister said that he would not be suggesting people take fewer flights, install heat pumps or eat less meat - but said it would lead to a reduction in energy bills and the security of energy independence.
Starmer will formally announce the emissions goal at Cop29 later on Tuesday but it is expected to mean a target of reduction of emissions by 81% compared with 1990 levels by 2035, as the Guardian revealed last night.
“I’ll set out our goal later on today, but look, it will be ambitious, and that’s measured not by telling people what to do,” Starmer told broadcasters in Baku.
“It’s measured by making sure that we get to clean power by 2030 – that’s the single most important target … and that will bring with it lower bills for people, for their energy it’ll give them independence, so that tyrants like Putin can’t put his boot on our throat, causing all sorts of difficulties for our energy bills.”
Starmer said he accepted it would mean difficult choices for government. “I accept it’s a difficult target. It’s an achievable target. But it’s not about telling people how to live their lives. I’m not interested in that.
“I am interested in making sure that their energy bills are stable, that we’ve got energy independence, and that we also, along the way, pick up the next generation of jobs.”
He said that the UK would be showing “leadership on the climate challenge … a very important challenge of our time.” But he said it was also “the single biggest opportunity for the next generation of jobs... this morning, here at Cop, I’m announcing a £1bn order for blades for offshore wind, which would be jobs in Hull.”
Asked about the effect of Donald Trump’s election victory on efforts to combat climate change, the energy secretary Ed Miliband said he was sure that they would find “common ground” with the president-elect, who has described climate change as a “hoax.”
“You will see what decisions the new administration makes – is that the economics now point in the direction of clean energy,” he told BBC Breakfast. “If you think about lots of the decisions that companies and countries are making, they recognise this is the single biggest job creator of our era, and so people want to be ahead in that race.
“So, we will seek to find common ground with Donald Trump, he will make his own decisions about what he wants to do. I obviously want him to stay in the Paris climate agreement, but that’s his decision.”
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More reaction is coming in to the UK’s new emissions cut target revealed by the Guardian last night. It has generally been warmly welcomed, though with some caveats.
Zahra Hdidou of ActionAid said:
With a planet battered by severe floods, storms, and heatwaves—and a climate denier elected to the White House—the UK is setting a bold bar for climate action at Cop this year. Yet this commitment risks being sabotaged by a costly obsession with carbon capture and storage— a false climate solution that hands a dangerous lifeline to the fossil fuel industry. Adding further insult to injury, the UK continues to pour over £5bn in public subsidies each year into polluting industries, diverting valuable funds away from where they’re truly needed while adding fuel to the climate fire.
Rebecca Newsom of Greenpeace said:
Despite the shadow cast over this summit by the prospect of Trump 2.0, Keir Starmer is choosing to step up, instead of stepping back from climate action. Despite falling short of the UK’s fair share, this is a relatively ambitious target compared with many other nations, and will help build momentum at these talks. But targets need to be backed up with bold action. When the government submits its action plan next year, it must include details of how the UK will deliver a full phase out of oil and gas, as it has done with coal. This must include proper funding to help workers transition from high carbon jobs to the green industries of the future. As our planet reels from catastrophic floods in Spain and bakes in what is likely to be the hottest year on record, this is the bare minimum needed to limit warming to 1.5C.
My colleague Fiona Harvey spotted some performers waiting to take to the stage for the ceremony
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The “cultural segment” of the high-level leaders’ event has begun. It features a lot of brightly lit shots of the countryside with the saturation level turned up to the max, smiling children picnicking and shots by drones soaring through mountain passes, all backed by an cheerful if intense orchestral score.
This is followed by a singer in a dinner jacket singing something rousing, although sadly translation was not provided. It is interspersed with shots of the watching delegates looking appreciative if slightly nonplussed.
Next up is some lively folk music from two tar players, backed by the orchestra and played at a pace that feels as though it could be intended to increase the pressure the delegates are feeling to get a positive result. They are followed by a violinist in front of a backdrop of crashing waves and sunlight reflected on water.
In the halls of Cop29, activists from Oil Change International gathered around a computer to watch a Dutch court’s ruling on a major ruling.
In this morning’s verdict, the Dutch appeals court struck down a 2021 ruling ordering oil and gas giant Shell to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels. The activists were devastated.
Laurie van der Burg, Oil Change International, said: “While we mourn today’s setback, the movement for climate justice is only getting stronger. Around the world, movements are increasing pressure on Shell and other big polluters for continuing to aggressively drive the climate crisis, through fossil fuel expansion and lobbying to obstruct, weaken, and delay climate policies.”
Despite the major setback, Van der Burg remained optimistic about future lawsuits against big oil, noting that at least 86 lawsuits have been filed against fossil fuel producers globally.
“Rich fossil fuel producing countries gathering in Baku this week should take notice,” she said. “Unless they stop propping up fossil fuels with billions of dollars in subsidies and instead take responsibility for paying the climate finance they owe to the global south they too will be held responsible in court. We’re just getting started.”
The ruling cited March 2024 research by Oil Change International which showed Shell’s climate plans are out of step with the goals of the Paris climate accord.
The Guardian has a full report below, which will be updated further as reaction comes in:
2024 'a masterclass in climate destruction,' says UN chief
“2024 – a masterclass in climate destruction.” That is how UN secretary general António Guterres started his address to world leaders at Cop29 on Tuesday.
“Families running for their lives before the next hurricane strikes; Workers and pilgrims collapsing in insufferable heat; Floods tearing through communities, and tearing down infrastructure; Children going to bed hungry as droughts ravage crops. All these disasters, and more, are being supercharged by human-made climate change,” he said.
The world leaders event happens at the start of Cop, intended to spur and inspire their negotiators towards a strong final agreement. But it was Guterres that read the riot act, with very strong words on the human cost of the climate crisis, and the extreme urgency of action.
“No country is spared,” he emphasised, with global supply chain shocks sending prices soaring for everyone. “Unless emissions plummet and adaptation soars, every economy will face far greater fury.”
“But there is every reason to hope,” Guterres said, with nations having already pledged to transition away from fossil fuels at last year’s Cop28. “It’s time to deliver and humanity is behind you.”
With solar and wind the cheapest source of new electricity almost everywhere, “doubling down on fossil fuels is absurd,” he said. “The clean energy revolution is here. No group, no business, and no government can stop it. But you must ensure it is fair and fast.”
Guterres listed three priorities. First “emergency” emissions reductions, with the G20 countries leading. Second, protecting people from the ravages of the climate crisis, especially the most vulnerable, which will require hundreds of billions of dollars. Third, delivering the overall finance goal, which should be at least $1tn a year and is the key task at Cop29.
“Developing countries eager to act are facing many obstacles: scant public finance; raging cost of capital; crushing climate disasters; and debt servicing that soaks up funds,” he said. “Developing countries must not leave Baku empty-handed. A deal is a must.”
Guterres highlighted both government funding, cheap loans from development banks and “innovative” sources, particularly levies on shipping, aviation, and fossil fuel extraction. “Polluters must pay,” he said.
“The world must pay up, or humanity will pay the price,” he said. “Climate finance is not charity, it’s an investment. Climate action is not optional, it’s imperative. Both are indispensable to a liveable world for all humanity.”
Updated
The UN and the Cop presidency have celebrated last night’s early breakthrough on carbon credits rules that pave the way for a carbon market. “Yesterday we secured critical progress on one of our key priorities, article 6” said Azerbaijan’s lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev, referring to a fraught section of the Paris agreement that has frustrated climate negotiators for nearly a decade. The move is a “gamechanger to direct resources to the developing world and save up to $250bn a year to implement climate plans,” he said.
Carbon markets let rich countries and companies pay poor ones to cut emissions and count the savings on their own. It’s a process that can speed up climate action by plucking cheap and low-hanging fruit first, but runs the risk of being abused when underwhelming or harmful projects are credited, or when projects are double-counted.
NGOs reacted with anger to the way in which the rules were pushed through on Monday night, describing it as a “backdoor deal”. The supervisory body adopted new standards ahead of the summit and recommended the parties to approve it, breaking with previous years in which it had given negotiators a set of recommendations to discuss.
Maria Aljishi, chair of the supervisory body, said further work was being done to develop standards at a press conference on Tuesday. “We absolutely must follow due process at all times. The CMA [parties to the Paris agreement] are free to give the supervisory body any guidance, and we are more than happy to receive that guidance and act on it.”
The world leaders in attendance have posed for the traditional “family photo” before the high-level segment gets under way.
It is notably more sparsely attended (and rather less grand) than the equivalent image taken at Cop28 last year:
Officials from the Taliban are attending Cop29, the first UN climate conference they have been at since they took power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Because the organisation is not formally recognised by UN member states, the group cannot participate fully in proceedings but were invited by hosts Azerbaijan to “potentially participate in periphery discussions and potentially hold bilateral meetings,” according to a report by news agency Reuters.
Afghanistan has suffered from drought for decades and is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate breakdown.
The UN has announced the provisional number of participants in the year’s conference: 66,778. This includes everyone from heads of government to security staff to journalists.
The number is significantly down from the 83,884 who attended last year’s talks in the United Arab Emirates, although it is still far higher than all other previous events. Numbers of attendees have been rising rapidly in recent years; Cop27 had about 49,704 delegates attend, while Cop26 in Glasgow hosted 38,457.
The UNHCR, the UN’s refugee body, has released a report today on how climate breakdown is making life even more difficult for people fleeing war and persecution.
It finds that three-quarters of the 120 million displaced people around the world are in countries severely affected by climate breakdown, and that by 2040 65 countries around the world are expected to face “extreme climate-related hazards”.
The report finds that those living in “extremely fragile states” receive about $2 of adaptation funding each per year, compared with $161 in non-fragile states. It also finds that the vast majority of that funding goes to those in capital cities, overlooking those in rural areas.
Filippo Grandi, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees, said: “The climate emergency represents a deep injustice. People forced to flee, and the communities hosting them, are the least responsible for carbon emissions yet are paying the highest price. The billions of dollars in climate financing never reach them, and humanitarian assistance cannot adequately cover the ever-widening gap. Solutions are at hand, but we need urgent action. Without proper resources and support, those affected will be trapped.”
Keir Starmer to announce UK's new climate goal
The UK is to announce its new NDC, or nationally determined contribution, at the conference today. My colleague Fiona Harvey revealed last night that it will commit to an emissions reduction of 81% on 1990 levels by 2035.
The target is in line with the recommendation made by the government’s official advisers, the Climate Change Committee. Although campaigners have said the target should be considered the bare minimum the UK should commit to, privately many will feel relieved the target is not lower.
The UK is currently off track to meet its 2030 commitment of a 68% cut in emissions on 1990 levels, having reduced its ambition under the Sunak government.
Read the full story here:
World leaders to speak at day two in Baku
After a rather frustrating first day, when disagreements over the agenda led to delays and false starts, today is – or should be – the day Cop29 really gets going. Put another way, it’s when the circus comes to town, because security ramps up meaning no one can get anywhere, the corridors are packed with guards and camerapeople, and for this segment of the conference world leaders get to bask in the spotlight.
This is the start of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, when heads of state and government arrive. This year, there will be notably fewer from big developed countries than could usually be expected.
After the election of Donald Trump, Joe Biden will not be putting in an appearance, and the beleaguered US delegation are looking anxious. Xi Jinping of China has made a habit of staying at home for Cops. Germany’s Olaf Scholz is facing the dissolution of his coalition, so he won’t be coming.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is stuck in the midst of confirmation hearings for her cabinet, which also means that Cop veterans Teresa Ribera - the dynamic former Spanish environment minister who has galvanised previous Cops - and Dan Jorgensen, the former Danish environment minister who has been a steadying presence since his first Cop in Copenhagen in 2009, will also be stuck in Brussels. Emanuel Macron of France has an ongoing crisis to cope with so is staying in Paris, from where he yesterday waved off Keir Starmer, one of the few heads of major economies to hit Baku.
Starmer is expected to unveil the UK’s NDC and boost the prospect of private sector cash ramping up to join the public money that is expected to be pledged here, through a deal that will see a key climate fundraising vehicle listed in London.
He will be joined by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, and others.
There will also be plenty of space given to developing countries to make their points. Mia Mottley of Barbados is here, an electric presence at previous Cops whose ideas for a revolution in climate finance are now becoming mainstream.
For Azerbaijan’s presidency, today will be crucial for national prestige. They will look to capitalise on the presence of leaders to give the instructions to their negotiating teams that are needed to unlock the talks. Behind the scenes and the public speeches, they will try to ensure that political leaders don’t get away with just an exchange of warm words and some photo opportunities.
Updated
Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the Cop29 climate conference, where Tuesday is the first day of the world leaders’ event. The Guardian’s reporters will be bringing you updates from the ground and around the world. I’m Alan Evans, my colleague Damien Gayle will be taking over later, and you can reach us at cop29@theguardian.com.
