As the climate talks at COP29 continue past the official date, Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, has dismissed the number provided as meaningless.
Adow notes that the text does not indicate who is responsible for providing the money needed for climate action by developing countries.
His words: “The overall number currently on the table is effectively meaningless, because it doesn’t say who should be contributing the money. Where will the pressure be to deliver that number if it’s not clearly stated to come from the rich world?
“Developed countries here are trying to unpick the delicate balance agreed in the Paris Agreement.”
Rewriting the UNFCCC process?
“They want to remove any responsibility from themselves to provide climate finance and instead just have everyone making voluntary contributions to the pot. That would be a fundamental re-writing of the entire UN negotiation process and rip up previous COP agreements.
“Rich countries have caused the climate crisis. Ever since the first COP it has been recognised that they owe a climate debt to the countries of the global south, to help them cope with the climate crisis they have created. They must not be allowed to dodge that responsibility.”
Direct negotiations
“A fundamental principle of UN summits is that they are a party driven process, where countries are supposed to negotiate directly with each other. COP29 however has seen that eroded.
“Not only have the open negotiations been replaced largely with backroom deals, but there has also been pressure for developing countries to accept the paltry offer that’s currently on the table. This is a worrying sign and must not be allowed to happen.”
