CCAC at COP29: Daily Updates - 12 November 2024

COP29 Begins

The 29th Conference of Parties (COP29), opened yesterday in Baku, Azerbaijan. The eyes of the world are now firmly on this year’s climate negotiations, with a heavy focus on climate finance expected to dominate conversations over the following 10 days. At the heart of these discussions is the call for the creation of a “new collective quantified goal” (NCQG) on climate finance, to replace the USD 100 billion pledge for developing countries set in 2009 to support their fight against climate change. Some estimates set a potential new figure as high as USD 5 trillion, setting up what many expect to be a feisty debate on who should foot the bill. In his opening remarks to the Conference, UN Climate Chief Simon Steill stated that “ambitious new climate finance goal is entirely in the self-interest of every single nation”. This COP is also particularly crucial for increasing ambition in upcoming Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 3.0, and for rallying around including tangible super pollutant measures in national climate plans.

Super Pollutants at COP29

The CCAC, as in previous years, has a strong presence on the ground at COP29, participating in many super pollutant themed side events and working closely with partners to highlight the opportunities that exist on super pollutant action. Stay tuned throughout the coming days for live updates on super pollutant events and actions.

Today, the United States, China, and the COP29 Presidency co-hosted the “COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases”. This is the second such gathering held at a COP, following the inaugural summit at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As part of the Summit, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, announced a 5-million-pound contribution towards the CCAC’s Fossil Fuel Regulatory Programme (FFRP).

Read more about the FFRP here.

At the Summit, a strong call to action was reiterated to fulfill the goals of the Global Methane Pledge, with many speakers noting that methane emissions continue to rise.

Notably, the new Global Nitrous (N₂O) Oxide Assessment was launched today, highlighting a rise in nitrous oxide emissions endangers pathway to 1.5°C, the ozone layer, and human health. Speaking at the launch event at the United States Pavilion, Co-Chair of the Assessment, David Kanter, highlighted key findings of the report, stressing that without urgent action on rising nitrous oxide emissions, there is no viable pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5°C, and showcasing tangible tools to reduce emissions by more than 40% from current levels. The assessment shows that N₂O is currently the most significant ozone-depleting substance being emitted, risking exposing much of the world’s population to higher UV levels and an increase in skin cancers and cataracts. The Assessment takes a solutions-based approach, taking ambitious action to reduce N₂O emissions could help prevent up to 20 million premature deaths globally by 2050 due to poor air quality and avoid the equivalent of up to 235 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2100. 

Read Press Release.

Read the Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment Assessment.

Additionally, today , Martina Otto, Head of the CCAC Secretariat, took part in numerous methane-related events, including:

• A CCAC-Clean Air Task Force side-event focused on the Fossil Fuel Regulatory Programme, featuring speakers representing the governments of Nigeria, Iraq, the UK, and Kazakhstan.
• A CCAC-Fiji-NDC Partnership side-event focused on strengthening GHG data management and mitigation in the Pacific region, with representatives from across the Pacific region.
• A “We Don’t Have Time” live broadcast, setting the scene for the importance of increasing ambition on super pollutants at COP29, alongside representatives from the Global Methane Hub, the World Bank, and the Government of Azerbaijan.

In their own words at COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases

“While there is a lot of focus on CO2, non-CO2 super pollutants like methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and N2O, causes half of climate change. Slashing these pollutants is the fastest, and I would add cheapest way, of slowing rising emissions.”

John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy, United States

"This year, as we enhance ambition and enable action on climate change, the COP29 presidency aims to drive progress on methane. That means building on the work of previous COPs, including the Global Methane Pledge. Over 158 countries have committed to reducing methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, and we urge all countries to sign up and increase ambition to reduce methane emissions."

H.E. Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President

“All parties of the UNFCCC are encouraged to share policies, actions, and support to help developing countries to take action on Non-CO2 gas reduction, accelerating our shared goal of a global carbon reduction. China is now actively working to reduce methane emissions.”

Liu Zhenmin, China’s Climate Envoy

We Don't Have Time X CCAC Broadcast: Cutting Short-Lived Pollutants for Rapid Planetary Cooling

Today we introduced our joint global campaign to intensify focus on cutting short-lived climate gases – giving us the time we need to transition our economies and keep 1.5 alive.

In case you missed it

Late last night, COP29 took steps towards the establishment of a carbon market under Paris Agreement Article 6, offering two distinct pathways for countries and companies to trade carbon offsets. The first option, Article 6.2, allows two countries to establish a bilateral carbon trading agreement under their own terms. The second, Article 6.4, seeks to develop a centralized, UN-managed system to enable both countries and companies to offset and trade carbon emissions. Speaking to Article 6, UN Climate Chief Simon Steill stressed the importance of developing countries benefitting from a new carbon market.