COP 29 | Baku, Azerbaijan | 11-22 November 2024
This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference was held from 11-22 November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Conference hosted the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29), the 6th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 6), the 19th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 19), and the 61st meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBI 61 and SBSTA 61).
Dubbed as the “Finance COP”, COP 29’s main goal was to come up with the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG). NCQG is a new global goal for climate finance mandated to be set above the floor of USD $100 billion prior to 2025. The result of the NCQG discussions is critical as it will likely have a direct impact on the updated Nationally Determined Contributions of Parties to be submitted by February 2025. The adopted decision gavelled 35 past the intended closing of COP 29, sets a new finance goal of at least $300 billion per year by 2035 for developing country Parties.
Aside from this, substantial decisions were made under the Article 6.2 and 6.4 agenda items, effectively operationalizing the market-based cooperative approaches of the Paris Agreement. Upon Under Article 6.2, bilateral carbon credit trades can now be reported and recognized based on set of guidelines. Article 6.4 adopted standards set by the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body on methodologies for assessment of activities and requirements for carbon removal. They also agreed on a process to transfer CDM credits from afforestation and reforestation activities and exempted LDCs and SIDS from paying the Share of Proceeds levy. COP 29 also extended the enhanced Lima Work Programme on gender for an additional 10 years and provided further guidance on indicators of the Global Goal on Adaptation and events under the Mitigation Work Programme.
More detailed daily updates from COP 29 can be downloaded on this page.
NUS Centre for International Law at COP 29 This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference will be held from 11-22 November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This Conference will host the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29), the 6th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 6), the 19th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 19), and the 61st meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBI 61 and SBSTA 61). The NUS Centre for International Law’s Climate Change Law and Policy team will be on the ground to monitor the negotiations and important developments in climate policy and participate in events. Check this page as we update upcoming events.
EVENTS
Nov. 13, 11:00, TBC| Science for Climate Action Pavilion at COP 29
Railla to speak on the triple planetary crisis and governance: how to accelerate the achievement of the 30x30 goals [Event Cancelled]
Nov. 19, 14:00, Science for Climate Action Pavilion at COP 29 | Rethinking Science: A Change of Paradigm Through Cross and Transdisciplinary Approaches
Danielle to speak on interdisciplinary collaboration on climate change law and policy
Nov. 18, 13:15, TBC| Just Transition – a Fairness Discourse for Enhancing Adaptation and Improving Social Resilience
Danielle to speak on critical energy minerals and just transition
Nov. 21, 16:30, Singapore Pavilion| Voyage to Net Zero Forum
Danielle to speak on international collaborations for maritime decarbonization
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Official COP 29 Side Event:
Just Transition – A Fairness Discourse for Enhancing Adaptation and Improving Social Resilience | 18 Nov 24
Danielle Yeow, represented the Centre for International Law, in a wide ranging panel discussion on just transition with the Hon Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentemu (Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda), Gregg Walker (Professor of Environmental Sciences, Oregon State University), Emily Faint (Net Zero Policy Manger, British Standards Institute), Laura Marsiliani (Professor, Business School, Durham University) and Ruta Trainyte (Head of Communications, Lithuanian Consumers Alliance).
Danielle’s presented on the topic of the topic of just transition in the context of critical energy transition minerals and discussed the Guiding Principles and Recommendations set out the report on “Resourcing the Energy Transition Principles to Guide Critical Energy Transition Minerals Towards Equity and Justice” that was issued by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals in Sept 2024. Read more about this topic in this CIL Dialogues blog post.
Moderated by Petra Minnerop (Professor of International Law, Durham University), the panel discussed the multifaceted opportunities and challenges posed by the transition to a nett zero carbon future, the potential of the carbon markets in addressing the economic issues and inequities posed, the importance of and strategies for participatory communication and inclusive dialogue as well as contributing to multilateral rule-making by participating in the work of standard setting bodies. For more on this event, see Durham University’s report here.
Science for Climate Action Pavilion:
Rethinking Science: A Change of Paradigm Through Cross and Transdisciplinary Approaches | 19 Nov 24
Danielle Yeow, representing the Centre for International Law, NUS participated in a panel dialogue on the need for, challenges faced and success stories in inter-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches. The panel discussed, among others, the importance of:
- interdisciplinarity and avoiding fragmentation and segmentation in science;
- integrating science in policy decision-making process;
- inclusive engagement in a "safe" setting;
- addressing unconscious bias;
- bridging different concepts, preconceptions and language whilst maintaining competencies, quality and robustness;
- incentives; and
- effective communication and responsive messaging.
Danielle also spoke on the science-policy-law interface, the inter-disciplinary and cross-interdisciplinary work at the CIL and NUS, CIL's ASEAN Universities Network initiative and CIL's collaboration with Durham University's JUSTN0W initiative.
The other panellists were Assunção Cristas (Nova School of Law), Ko Barrett (World Meteorological Organization), Marta Della Vecchia (European Commission Science Europe), Christopher Den Auwer (Université Côte d'Azur), Patricia Morales (MERI Foundation), Jon Paul Rodriguez (Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Investigations). The moderator was Christophe Mccquet (Université Côte d'Azur).
COP 29 Singapore Pavilion
Voyage to Net Zero Forum", COP29 Singapore Pavilion | 21 Nov 24
Danielle Yeow represented the Centre for International Law, NUS in an engaging panel discussion on global action for maritime decarbonisation together with Madadh MacLaine, (Secretary-General, Zero Emission Ship Technology Association) and Camille BOURGEON (Technical Officer, Marine Environment Division, International Maritime Organization). The discussion was moderated by Minerva Lim (Senior Sustainability Manager, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore).
The panel addressed among others, the priorities and key issues for IMO and what is needed to reach the IMO's 2050 net-zero GHG emissions goal and indicative checkpoints and the importance of policy signals and regulatory developments in enabling absolute zero-emissions technologies. The panel also discussed questions relating to sustainable marine fuel standards, carbon accounting, IMO's 2024 Guidelines on life cycle GHG intensity of marine fuels and MRV (including real-time MRV). In particular, Danielle touched on the climate-ocean-biodiversity nexus and governance, as well as oceans and climate related developments at CBD COP16. The importance of international cooperation and public-private partnership was an important theme flagged during the discussion.
COP29 Virtual Oceans Pavilion
From EEZs to the High Seas: Leveraging the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus in accelerating the implementation of ocean-climate action | 6 Nov 2024