Azerbaijan’s COP29 Presidency Concludes Intensive Pre-COP Climate Diplomacy in Baku » Capital News
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 16 – The Azerbaijan COP29 Presidency has concluded a week of intensive climate diplomacy in Baku, aimed at bridging divides and making early progress on key issues ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in November.
The week brought together ministers, heads of delegations, negotiators, and constituencies from across the globe and featured two Heads of Delegation meetings, a High-Level Ministerial Dialogue, and the Pre-COP conference.
In his address to Pre-COP participants, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev underscored the urgency of climate action. “As we enter the final stage of preparations for COP29, I urge you to engage constructively and in good faith for the sake of humanity,” Aliyev said. “While states have common but differentiated responsibilities, we must set aside disagreements and find common ground. Time is too precious to be wasted on blame over global warming or environmental harm.”
COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev highlighted the progress made so far while acknowledging the remaining challenges. “We’ve done well to narrow down options, and potential solutions are becoming clearer. But the divides between parties remain evident,” Babayev said. “Ministers now need to return to their capitals to secure the mandates necessary for breakthroughs at COP29. No one should arrive without clear political support to make tangible progress.”
A key focus of the discussions was the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. Lead Negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev noted that the financial needs for climate action are in the trillions of dollars, though the realistic goal for direct public sector funding and mobilization lies in the “hundreds of billions.” The new climate finance goal aims to address the priorities of developing countries, particularly small island states and the least developed nations. The COP29 Presidency emphasized transparency, accessibility, and the importance of agreeing on all elements of the NCQG at the upcoming conference.
The week’s events were critical in preparing a draft negotiating text on climate finance, which is expected to be published soon. This draft will mark a significant milestone as COP29 approaches.
The Presidency also stressed the need for a “balanced package” at COP29, delivering enhanced ambition and clear next steps following the Global Stocktake from COP28. Non-negotiated initiatives, including efforts to enhance climate transparency, support human development for climate resilience, and promote international cooperation to meet the 1.5-degree temperature goal, were also discussed.
One of the highlights of the week was the launch of a joint report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Global Renewables Alliance, and the UAE and Brazilian COP Presidencies. This report tracks progress toward energy goals set at COP28 and includes priorities such as the COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge. This initiative aims to increase global energy storage capacity to 1,500 GW by 2030, a sixfold increase from 2022 levels.
The Pre-COP in Baku, held from October 10–11, served as a key stepping stone toward COP29. It featured two Heads of Delegation meetings on October 8 and 12, which addressed technical issues, and the longest High-Level Ministerial Dialogue in UNFCCC history on October 9, which brought together ministers and heads of delegations from over 60 countries. The dialogue, including break-out sessions, marked a critical political discussion as nations prepare for COP29’s decisive negotiations.
As the world looks to Azerbaijan for COP29 leadership, the week’s progress in Baku has set the stage for what could be a defining moment in global climate diplomacy.
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