Cop29 begins in Baku amid full alarm over climate catastrophes

Despite the recurrence of extreme weather phenomena attributable to global warming, the world continues to underestimate the impact of climate change. A few days before COP29 which opens in Baku, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres launched a new appeal to act immediately, because the irreversible point of no return is approaching.

The increase in temperature compared to pre-industrial levels is rapidly starting to exceed 1.5 degrees, which was set as a target not to be exceeded during the Paris Agreement in 2015, precisely to avoid its catastrophic consequences. The alarm bells of rain, floods and fires, with their tragic consequences on people and infrastructure, have not so far been enough to push the environmental policies of countries up the accelerator.

Guterres recalled in an interview with the Guardian that humanity is approaching irreversible tipping points such as the collapse of the Amazon rainforest and the Greenland ice sheet and highlighted that governments are not making deep cuts to emissions greenhouse gases needed.

During his first term in the White House, Donald Trump had freed himself from the commitments of the Paris Agreement: with his return to the US presidency, a possible second similar choice could paralyze the entire process, warns Guterres, who urges also greater coordination on the interconnected environmental crises of the 21st century. It is impossible, he said, to act on global warming without preserving biodiversity to protect forests and other natural carbon “stores”.

“The world is still underestimating climate risks – said Guterres – We are about to reach a series of tipping points that will drastically accelerate the impacts of climate change. It is absolutely essential to act now and drastically reduce emissions”.

In Baku, negotiators will among other things have to set a new financial target to replace the $100 billion commitment expiring next year, establishing which countries will help provide the money needed to decarbonize the world economy.

The pressure will be especially on the very rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, whose economies are however based on the exploitation of fossil fuels. Many states in the Global North believe that China should no longer be classified as a developing country in the UN climate process due to its economic power and should therefore be expected to contribute funding.

According to a Guardian poll of hundreds of climate scientists, most expect global warming to exceed 1.5 degrees, reaching at least 2.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels this century and sparking warnings of widespread social destruction. stairs.

Environmental organizations represented in Baku underline that “the urgency of tackling the climate crisis is more pressing than ever”. “Despite the results of the US elections – the associations gathered in the Climatenetwork explained in a pre-Cop29 briefing – the scientific and moral imperative to tackle global emissions and build climate resilience remains”.

In particular, the network of environmental NGOs expects “the EU to play an active role to help reach an agreement on a new financial target that truly shifts resources from rich countries to countries most vulnerable to the climate, in particular in the south of world”.

Discontent has always been evident among environmentalists over the choice of Baku, the capital of a non-democratic state whose economy is based on the exploitation of fossil fuel resources, to lead negotiations that are unlikely to lead to decisions harmful to its interests.