World leaders are set to begin UN climate talks next week, just days after a tight U.S. election that could significantly ramify the world’s efforts to combat climate change. The stakes will be high at the COP29 conference in Azerbaijan, where countries will need to agree on new targets to fund climate initiatives across various regions.
This is on course to be one of the hottest years on record, with devastating floods, heat waves, and storms destroying communities everywhere. So far, countries are failing to make the commitments needed to avoid the worst outcomes of dangerous global warming.
As leaders meet in Baku, they will grapple with simmering trade disputes, economic instability, and ongoing bloodshed in the Middle East and Ukraine. If he does return to office, that adds another layer of uncertainty to the outcome of the U.S. election.
Li Shuo, a climate diplomacy expert, said Trump’s re-election could bring about a “crisis moment” at the talks. Many countries, probably including China, are preparing to send a strong message in the direction of global climate cooperation in case Trump wins.
Some are questioning whether Azerbaijan, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, should be hosting the talks from November 11 to 22, given the commitment from nations last year to phase out the use of fossil fuels and triple renewable energy by 2030. Negotiators will also have to build on a $100 billion a year target to help developing nations adapt to the worsening impacts of a heating climate.
By 2030, developing countries are estimated to need investment of about $2.4 trillion annually, $1 trillion of which is expected from international public and private financing. A successful outcome in Baku underpins more ambitious commitments in the months ahead.
