As the largest climate change conference, COP29 (Conference of Parties), kicked off yesterday in Baku, Azerbaijan, T&T negotiators hope for easier access to climate finance and a stronger global plan to mitigate the impacts of a warming world.
Kishan Kumarsingh, this country’s lead climate negotiator, revealed this as the United Nations conference ended its first day yesterday.
The opening day was marred by delays due to the inability of parties to agree on some aspects of the agenda.
It’s been a common feature of recent COPs. However, Kumarsingh outlined T&T’s hopes at the conference in an interview yesterday with Guardian Media.
He said, “In terms of a goal, we would want to see a goal that is defined by adequacy and predictability in light of the changing climate, the increasing emissions, and the accelerated rate of climate change, which would only increase the adverse impacts of climate change and, as a result, increase the cost associated with those impacts.”
Kumarsingh stressed that small island states like T&T are already debt-laden and cannot afford to have more debt added to their economies.
He said, as such, the instruments of disbursement of finance should be grant funding and concessional loans as far as possible.
He added, “We hope for an ambitious outcome and a dedicated and robust decision on climate finance at this COP.”
Beyond the financial aspect of the COP, which is set to dominate negotiations, Kumarsingh said this country will be pushing for “an ambitious” decision on a mitigation work programme.
“With the accelerated rate of climate change, we are already on the way to three and four degree rise in temperature by the end of this century, and for small island states, that could very well mean loss of land, loss of amenities, and certainly severe challenges with food production. So we will also want to see a robust decision on mitigation,” he stated.
Kumarsingh, who is also the head of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit at the Ministry of Planning and Development, said this country will also be keeping an eye on the just transition decisions coming out of this COP.
He explained, “The just transition is important for T&T because of the energy transition moving to more sustainable forms of energy. The workforce, basically, also has to adapt to that changing set of circumstances so that no one is left behind. Persons can be retooled, reskilled and so on.”
Kumarsingh’s statements came after the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell, urged nations to agree to a new climate finance goal at COP29.
In his remarks at the opening of the plenary, the Grenadian said, “On this platform, we negotiate specific pieces of this ‘puzzle’ every year. But we cannot afford to continue destroying lives and livelihoods in all countries, so let’s achieve a result.”
Stiell added, “I, like everyone else, am disappointed that no single COP conference can provide the full transformation that every country needs. Here in Baku, we must agree on a new global goal for climate finance. If at least two-thirds of the world’s countries cannot afford to rapidly reduce emissions, then every country pays a higher price.”
Meanwhile, in a strong opening statement, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev said yesterday that the world needs to act on behalf of the most vulnerable.
“Whether you see them or not, people are suffering in the shadows. They are dying in the dark and they need more than compassion, more than prayers and paperwork. They are crying out for leadership and action,” Babayev said.
“COP29 is the unmissable moment to chart a new path forward for everyone,” he said.
