Why COP29 will be a clear litmus test for climate crisis

With the planet's ever-rising and extreme weather events etching their mark on every continent, the upcoming annual UN climate conference in Azerbaijan is expected to be a deciding test to confront the climate crisis.

The conference remains a high-stake gamble, a final roll of the dice, experts say. They term COP29 as a “deciding test for whether the multilateral process is fit-for-purpose to confront the climate crisis”, with a call for “whatever it takes to make it work.”

In his first formal communication to all countries, COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev, set out the principles for them to focus on, setting out its vision to make ambitions a reality.

“COP29 will be a defining moment because we must address all the most fundamental and pressing issues, with climate finance as a centerpiece. This will be a deciding test for whether the multilateral process is fit for purpose to confront the climate crisis,” said Mr Babayev.

He added, “There is nothing easy about this challenge or these negotiations, but this process is better than any alternative. It is our best hope, and we must now do whatever it takes to make it work”.

He said this year’s COP is determined to fulfill past promises, delivering on mandates, and building on the process so that it can address the urgency and scale of the crisis.

In its plans and expectations of the summit, the COP29 Presidency team called on actions to be guided by the latest science and informed by the outcomes of the Global Stocktake, agreed by Parties at COP28. 

Speaking during the Global Media Forum in Shusha, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said that there is a need to accelerate action and stop accusations of climate financing.

“Currently, there is a big mistrust between developing and developed countries. There is a lot of blame game between who is polluting more and who is damaging the world more yet these debates will lead us nowhere. We must put in finances to allow developing countries to cope and transition,” President Aliyev said.

He said that being a country that hangs in between as a link between developed and developing nations, Azerbaijan is determined to fulfill its responsibility as host and will spare no effort to bring parties together.