Conferences GCE & Student Activities

GCE at COP 29: Experiences, Outcomes, and Key Takeaways

In November 2024, four GCEs had the opportunity to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan as observers. This event is held every year in different countries by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with the aim of negotiating and agreeing on global strategies to combat climate change. It brings together world leaders and representatives from almost every country, as well as climate experts, activists, business leaders, and observers from various NGOs. Since 1995, delegations have met to review progress on climate change and to develop new policies and commitments based on the latest scientific research. But the COP is not just for policymakers: each year, a series of side events are held, ranging from workshops involving civil society, to panel discussions on various topics, to presentations on the successful implementation of climate-positive projects.

(Some) outcomes of COP29

As COP 29 (like all COPs) was very large, with many negotiations and other events going on in parallel, it was difficult for us as observers to understand what was agreed. A structured overview of the outcomes is only possible with the help of additional research, such as Carbon Brief’s website, where both summaries and details can be found. A brief overview based on our experience is provided here.

First, although the newspapers may give the impression that COPs in general are mostly failures, with rich nations failing to live up to their commitments, there have been breakthroughs. In a highly complex system like the UN, where nearly 200 countries with different challenges, values and priorities are trying to agree on basic guidelines for the future, seemingly small decisions are major achievements. Faced with the daunting challenges of climate change, the COP is attempting to tackle individual components of the problem and break them down into tasks and specific actions.

Moreover, since we don’t have a world government, the UNFCCC can “only” outline priorities and urgent issues that national governments must pursue. Nevertheless, there are many mechanisms in place to support compliance and make non-compliance unattractive, and the framework set at COPs is a powerful tool for streamlining a global pathway for action. The focus of this year’s COP was on finance, and a new quantified target on finance was advanced. The so-called ‘developed countries’ agreed to channel at least $300 billion per year to the so-called developing countries by 2035. In addition, $1.3 trillion will be raised each year by 2035 from a variety of sources, including the private sector. Many of the key results were achieved in last-minute negotiations.

Another important issue at this year’s COP was the discussion on how to follow up on the results of the global stocktake that will be completed in 2023. Unfortunately, no concrete plan was agreed on how to move forward on this issue.

On the other hand, progress was made on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which deals with market-based solutions such as carbon pricing and trading. Rules were formulated for country-to-country trading and the international carbon market, as well as standardized crediting criteria.

Our COP experience 

Negotiations

After attending the COP, the negotiations were the topic we got asked about the most. Given the peculiar, legal language of the UNFCCC, the fact that individual negotiations addressed only tiny aspects of the Paris Agreement and the UN Convention, and that many breakthroughs were made in closed-door negotiations at night, it is not surprising that our understanding of the substance of the negotiations remained limited.

Nevertheless, we were deeply impressed to see the whole world literally gathered around one big table. Countries at war with each other were able to participate and contribute to the dialogue. Every country had an equal right to speak, although structural constraints such as the number of negotiators that countries could afford to send to the COP left room for unequal conditions. Considering the huge amount of specific knowledge, tasks and sleepless nights that have to be shared within the delegations, being able to send 5 people instead of 100 is a big disadvantage.

Observing the negotiations has taught us that premature judgments about seemingly non-compliant countries are mostly the result of a lack of knowledge about the individual situations, political systems, and challenges in those countries. While some countries find it relatively easy to promise climate actions that are popular among climate activists (such as net-zero pledges) and then sell these ideas to their own national governments and populations, others face national resistance, instability, and political unpredictability. While some have adopted a strategy of promising little but having a high probability of delivering, others are making more ambitious pledges that may have a lower chance of being delivered. Both strategies were visible during the negotiations and gained more recognition from our sides because of the insider perspective we gained. After all, the countries that don’t want to do anything about climate change don’t waste time and resources going to the COP. So (almost) everyone who was in Baku was there because they see the importance of climate change and want to do something about it.

Panel Discussions

But the biggest part of our COP experience was the side events, often panel discussions. Typically, scientists, activists, politicians, or experts would gather and discuss a particular topic under the leadership of a chair. Topics ranged from the struggles of indigenous peoples, to plastic pathways in China, to a new online tool for calculating the remaining fossil fuel budget for countries and regions of the world.

Some panel discussions were simply people presenting their views, while others were more controversial. The panels were an opportunity to connect the abstract negotiations and policies of the UNFCCC to the work on the ground. For example, during the panel with the new director of the Loss and Damage Fund, community leaders were able to share their views on the accessibility and future design of the fund. Questions from the audience were usually answered at the end, where, for example, a hydropower expert from Germany involved in a project in South America was able to hear the critical voices of local and indigenous people that he would not normally hear in his daily life. Because of encounters like these, we often found the panel discussions and side events to be the most fruitful for us and for the overall goal of connecting different stakeholders and sharing knowledge.

Pavilions

Each country, group of countries (e.g. African Union) and other interest groups (OPEC) had a pavilion. Often the pavilions reflected some cultural features of the country and were nicely decorated. Besides the popular free coffee, interesting events took place there. In addition, smaller countries had the opportunity to present themselves and offer traditional food and other information about their country. We visited the German pavilion, the EU pavilion, the UNFCCC pavilion, the Nordic pavilion and the UK pavilion. In addition to ministerial speeches, there were panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and workshops. Countries could also give their space to groups that didn’t have their own pavilion, such as the German pavilion, which hosted a dialogue among young indigenous women from Latin America (See image above).

In the Nordic pavilion, parliamentarians from Sweden and Norway had a very inspiring dialogue on how to support a transition to sustainable consumption. A topic that seems to be moving rather slowly in Germany and much faster in Nordic countries like Sweden or Norway, so it was very interesting to get an insight into their methods and narratives. In the UNFCCC pavilion, small island states like Niue and the Maldives, as well as larger economies with a high dependence on the ocean, like Colombia, were able to share their knowledge on how to live with their natural resources and learn from each other. Overall, the pavilions were a good place to come together and network, whether over coffee, a pub quiz or a panel discussion.

Press Conferences

Another part of our COP experience were the press conferences. Every day there were many different press conferences held by many different groups. Countries or groups of countries, mainly for their national press, and other big players like the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) or WWF were groups we expected to have press conferences. But there were also some unexpected press conferences. For example, the NGO Solar Cookers International was surprisingly prevalent in the press conference schedule. We attended several press conferences: one held by the COP Presidency, Azerbaijan, one held by the European Union, and one held by Germany.

Since press conferences are something familiar from television and other events, it was very interesting to experience them in person. The rooms were filled with reporters and there was a lot of live TV coverage. After the first statements were read by the politicians, it was the journalists’ turn to ask questions. It was very interesting to hear how detailed the statements were and how the politicians answered the questions.

On the one hand, these press conferences were an opportunity for us to keep up with the progress of the negotiations that the leaders were conducting behind closed doors. On the other hand, they were also a great opportunity for us to get to know public figures like Annalena Baerbock in real life (see below). But it was not only the press conferences that were widely covered. Young journalists worked all over the venue, and although they were not allowed into some of the events, such as the negotiations, they often stood in the halls giving interviews or doing live coverage. Overall, the press conferences were a very interesting part of the COP experience because we were able to see what everyone else was watching at home.

People’s plenary

Almost by accident, we stumbled upon the People’s Plenary. Unlike almost all the other events, this one was for people who weren’t represented by country delegations. It was a space for all the voices that weren’t heard in the negotiations. Throughout COP29, you could see many indigenous people walking around, as well as many other groups protesting for stronger climate policies. They all came together in the Peoples’ Plenary, calling for climate justice and more action from policymakers. Unlike all the other events, the contributions to the People’s Plenary were very emotional, which was reflected by the audience. By the end, everyone was singing and dancing and the atmosphere was great.

National statements 

Finally, the National Declarations were also an important part of COP29. Beginning in the first week, these statements are an opportunity for participating countries to share their views, priorities, and commitment to fighting climate change. One by one, representatives took the stage to read their statements. Several countries announced their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), often pledging more ambitious climate targets or increased contributions to climate finance. In turn, more vulnerable countries from the group of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) or Least Developed Countries (LDCs) emphasized the existential threat they face from the climate crisis and their demand for climate justice.

It was particularly interesting to see statements from countries at war read out in close proximity. The statements were also an opportunity to highlight innovative solutions or partnerships that individual countries are pursuing. But these statements were not just declarations of intent, they set the tone for the negotiations and influenced the overall direction of COP29. This was clearly seen in the financial language of many of the statements, in light of this year’s COP being dubbed the “Finance COP”.

Our statement and experience

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at COP29 in Baku. It was deeply inspiring to see so many people, politicians, delegates, activists, vulnerable people, and observers alike, come together to fight for a more sustainable future, despite all the differences on the outside. Our time there gave us a newfound respect for people who work tirelessly to negotiate agreements that everyone can live with. The achievement of a successful agreement at the end of the conference can be easily overlooked when following the conference in the news. We take this inspiration and momentum back to Bayreuth to work for a better future.

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I started my MSc in Global Change Ecology in 2023 after receiving my BSc in Wildlife Conservation. Having learned lots about conservation, especially in tropical regions, I wanted to delve deeper into the different aspects of global change to better understand its implications. I am especially interested in the interplay between global change and biodiversity, and how humans can have a positive impact. Outside of my studies, I enjoy getting out in nature and creating new things.

After finishing my BA in Anthropology and African History at the University of Bayreuth, I was looking for a way to dive into my interest in nature conservation and ecology again. That's why I chose the Master Global Change Ecology. I am particularly interested in human-environment systems and interactions, as well as meeting new people from near and far, hiking, climbing and upcycling.

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