Upcoming Key Dates and Climate Insights Ahead of COP29

Key Diary Dates

  • Monday, 28 October: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will publish its annual report titled 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2024, as a precursor to COP29.
  • Wednesday, 30 October: Former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is set to present a crucial report on defense preparedness to Ursula von der Leyen.
  • Thursday, 31 October: Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and Mairead McGuinness, the European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability, and Capital Markets Union, will engage in discussions on investment at the International Banking Conference in Madrid.

In the Spotlight

In the Spotlight

With just two weeks left until global leaders convene in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, they will reflect on the ambitious goals established nearly a decade ago in Paris. At that historic gathering, representatives from almost 200 nations committed to the aspiration of limiting the rise in global average temperatures to within 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Recently, this commitment has been reiterated by a distinguished panel of scientists who cautioned that the repercussions of climate change extend far beyond warmer summers.

In an annual report that presents the latest insights into climate science, researchers have highlighted alarming connections between climate change, maternal and infant mortality rates, and the heightened vulnerability of vital systems such as water supplies, energy grids, and telecommunications networks. “This report underscores that we face planetary-scale challenges, from escalating methane emissions to the susceptibility of our critical infrastructure,” stated Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and a co-author of the report. He further warned, “The combination of rising temperatures, ocean instability, and the tipping point of the Amazon rainforest could render parts of our planet uninhabitable.”

So, what actions are being taken? Unfortunately, not enough, as highlighted by the UN’s recent findings that reveal a significant gap between promised actions and the targets set forth in the Paris Agreement. Last year witnessed record highs in global greenhouse gas emissions, and the only reason we have not yet surpassed the ambitious 1.5-degree limit is due to the averaging of temperatures over 30 years. Even the more lenient Paris target of limiting the rise to two degrees appears increasingly precarious.

The upcoming COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan has been characterized as the ‘finance COP,’ primarily focusing on the pressing issue of funding for developing nations to manage increasingly severe weather patterns and transition from fossil fuel dependency to clean energy solutions. Notably, China, a significant global player, does not contribute to the existing $100 billion annual fund, which is scheduled for replacement with a new financial framework in 2025.

Governments have until February to submit updated ‘nationally determined contributions’ (NDCs) aimed at reducing emissions by 2035, which will form the basis for discussions at the subsequent COP30, to be held not in the capital of an authoritarian petrostate but at the threshold of the Amazon in Belém, Brazil. Some countries, including the United Kingdom and Brazil, the host of COP30, have already indicated plans to reveal their new NDCs during the meeting in Baku. On the domestic front, the European Commission aims to establish a target of 90% reductions by 2040. While securing funding is critical, it is ultimately the actual emissions reductions that will determine our success.

Policy Newsmakers

Candidates for the role of the next EU Ombudsman, including Claudia Mahler and Emilio De Capitani, have raised concerns over a perceived lack of transparency in the recruitment process. Mahler, who currently serves as a UN independent expert focusing on the rights of older persons and is a team leader at the German Institute for Human Rights, alongside former parliamentary official De Capitani, is advocating for greater clarity in the selection procedures.

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