COP29 kicks off in Baku tomorrow

The 29th conference of the parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change kicks off in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku tomorrow (Monday).
The November 11-22 event is a pivotal opportunity to accelerate action to tackle the overwhelming climate crisis.
With temperatures hitting record highs and extreme weather events affecting people globally, COP29 will bring together leaders from governments, businesses and civil societies to advance concrete solutions to this issue.
Dr Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the interim government, is expected to take part in the World Leaders Climate Action Summit at COP29.
Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world.
A key focus of COP29 will be on finance, as trillions of dollars are required for countries to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening impacts of climate change.
COP29 will also be a key moment for countries to present their updated national climate action plans under the Paris pact, which are due by early 2025.
If done right, these plans would limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and double as investment plans advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs), according to a UN climate report.
With climate impacts inflicting growing human and economic costs in every country, every conference is a vital global moment that must deliver major progress, and COP29 is no exception.
Ambitious outcomes in Baku are vital, because unless all countries can cut emissions and build more resilience into global supply chains, no economy - including the G20 - will survive unchecked global heating, and no household will be spared its severe inflationary impacts.
The context in which COP29 begins in Baku is critical but not hopeless.
The UN report released just days before the conference says this growing level is likely to put the world on course for a catastrophic rise of 2.6-3.1°C this century unless greenhouse gas emissions are largely cut immediately.
A failure to act will lead to frequent and dangerous extreme weather events.
The UN is calling for urgent collective action, led by the G20 group of developed economies and biggest emitters, to ensure greenhouse gas emission cuts in order to limit global warming.
A top priority for negotiators in Baku will be agreeing on a new climate finance goal, one that ensures every country has the means to take much stronger climate action, slash greenhouse gas emissions and build resilient communities.
The aim is for the conference to help unlock the trillions of dollars that developing countries need in order to mitigate harmful carbon emissions, adapt to climate change and cope with the loss and damage it has caused.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has described the current system as "entirely unfit for purpose" and ill-equipped to cope with today's challenges.
"Many poor countries are facing unsustainable levels of debt that leave them unable to invest in social protection and health care, let alone measures that would bring about the transition to a low carbon economy," he says.

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