Reflecting on my experiences in Azerbaijan, I can trace my frustrations with the conference’s conclusion to the significant disconnect between the negotiations and all other events at COP29. The impactful panels and discussions I attended highlighted the urgent need for climate action to address the human rights violations that are experienced on a global scale. In comparison, negotiations were rightfully described by Power Shift Africa director Mohamed Adow as a “betrayal of both people and planet,” ending in a climate financial deal with only a small fraction of the original funding goal. The lack of urgency displayed by negotiators— specifically those representing the Global North—demonstrates the importance of community organizing and local change to combat inaction on a national level.
One powerful event I attended was the People’s Plenary, themed “Pay Up, Stand Up: Finance Climate Action, Not Genocide,” which broadened my perspective on interconnected justice issues and further emphasized the need for financial action. The plenary featured speakers representing various groups, including indigenous communities, people with disabilities, and populations facing genocide. A mantra repeated throughout the event was that there is no climate justice without human rights; the correlation between these two causes is evident in the ongoing genocide and ecocide in Gaza. Israel’s genocide has killed over 45,000 Palestinians and displaced over 1.9 million people, and its ecocide has intentionally destroyed the natural environment across the Gaza strip. It is impossible to discuss plans of creating a sustainable future without addressing current conflicts, such as the genocide in Gaza, which are inherently unsustainable. Therefore, plenary speakers urged for a reallocation of funding from enabling genocide to supporting climate finance.
However, the messaging of the People’s Plenary was not reflected in financial action at negotiations. The conference concluded with a financial agreement allocating $300 billion annually in grants and loans from the developed world to developing nations, with a plan for the figure to reach at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. This final settlement reflects a mere fraction of the financial goal established prior to the conference. It is disheartening to see that developed nations failed to meet the earlier objective because the dire circumstances already being experienced due to the climate crisis necessitate swift and extensive action.
The disconnect between COP29 events, such as the People’s Plenary, and negotiations is a concerning indicator of climate inaction on a global scale. But rather than dwelling on the existential dread this reality can elicit, it is essential to refocus attention on community-based advocacy and consider the value of smaller scale change. In a roundtable meeting, “Nature, Health, and Resilience in Cities,” there was a key focus on building resilience on a sub-national level and leveraging the power of cities to address the climate crisis. While there may be inaction at a national level, there is significant power in creating change at a local level, as it sets an example and adds pressure for action on a larger scale. Activist organizations can help to initiate this sub-national change to ensure a fair green transition despite institutional barriers and insufficient financial support.
Jackie Flaherty is majoring in Marketing and Urban & Community Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Sources:
https://waronwant.org/news-analysis/cop29-climate-talks-fail-global-south-theres-hope
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker