COP29, The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, runs from 11th to 22nd November in Baku.
Trillions of dollars are required for countries to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and countries are expected to present updated action plans on what they are doing to tackle the climate emergency.
Scotland
Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Gillian Martin, is attending COP29 on behalf of the Scottish Government.
The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill was passed in the Scottish Parliament and amends the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to introduce limits on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in Scotland over a five-year period. Scotland is committed to ending its contribution to global emissions by 2045.
Gillian Martin said:
“Scotland was the first global north government to commit funding to address loss and damage – and that money is now supporting vulnerable communities who are at most risk of suffering the effects of climate change. We are committed to continuing that progress and contributing to the finance debate, to ensure it is in line with climate justice principles.
“Scotland’s commitment to ending our contribution to global emissions by 2045 at the latest is ambitious, but it is achievable. We know that challenges lie ahead and the only way we can truly meet the need and urgency of the task that lies ahead is by working together exchange ideas and agree shared actions.”
A UN climate report released just days before COP29 confirmed that global average temperature rise is approaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, which would put the world on course for a catastrophic rise of 2.6-3.1°C this century, unless there are immediate and major cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.
In light of the recent cataclysmic weather events a diverse group of over 70 organisations in Scotland, including Oxfam Scotland, RSPB Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland, Christian Aid Scotland, and FareShare Scotland, have written a letter to the First Minister, John Swinney. They are urging the First Minister to deliver specific actions to inspire Scotland’s people with hope and lead to a greener, fairer, healthier Scotland through fair funding to:
- Enable people to walk, ride or wheel safely, and get about quickly and easily on an affordable and reliable public transport network;
- Properly insulate homes, and power them through cleaner forms of heating, reducing energy bills, protecting households from the risk of fuel poverty, and improving health;
- Support Scotland’s farmers, crofters and fisheries to manage the land and seas in ways that protect and restore nature, and provide us with high quality, sustainable and nutritious food;
- Help people develop the skills needed for a new low carbon, circular economy, and ensure fast, fair and managed plans are deployed to transition workers away from fossil-fuel based industries.
COP29
A top priority for negotiators at COP29 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.
Climate change impacts are already hitting vulnerable communities the hardest, and without urgent action, the world is on course for a dangerous temperature rise of 2.6-3.1°C this century.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell said that no country is immune from climate change and that every country would pay a terrible price if at least two-thirds of the world’s countries cannot afford to rapidly reduce their emissions.
He continued to say that the entire world economy could collapse if countries are unable to strengthen their supply chains in the face of rising costs linked to climate shocks, such as falling water levels in the Panama Canal which had a dramatic impact on shipping volumes. He called for robust reforms to the global financial system, which he believes is essential for nations to address climate impacts effectively.
The UN weather agency, WMO, released its State of the Climate 2024 Update and issued a Red Alert on the rapid progression of climate change within a single generation, driven by rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The years 2015-2024 will mark the hottest decade on record, with an accelerating loss of glacial ice, rising sea levels, and heating oceans. Extreme weather is causing significant disruption to communities and economies worldwide.
From January to September 2024, the global mean surface air temperature was 1.54 °C (±0.13°C) above the pre-industrial average, amplified by a warming El Niño, according to an analysis of six international datasets used by the WMO.
The effects of the climate emergency can already be seen along Orkney’s eroding coastline. A warmer and wetter climate with rising sea levels will effect everything in the islands.
Fiona Grahame
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