COP29 Presidency publishes climate pledges, urging global action ahead of summit

RIYADH: The COP29 Presidency has released the final versions of nine significant declarations and pledges ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, scheduled for November.

These documents, forming a part of the COP29 Action Agenda, outline pathways for both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to step up their climate commitments.

By inviting endorsements from a wide range of actors, the presidency aims to catalyze meaningful action beyond the official negotiations of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The COP29 Action Agenda, first introduced in September, seeks to complement the formal negotiation process by offering concrete initiatives designed to increase ambition across key climate sectors.

While not part of the official UNFCCC framework, these declarations and pledges are intended to inspire collective action across various societal sectors, reinforcing the summit’s overarching goal of enhanced climate ambition.

Now that the final texts are available, stakeholders have the opportunity to formally endorse them ahead of their official launch during the summit.

Among the documents published are key initiatives such as the final version of the COP29 Truce Appeal, the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, and a range of declarations focused on sectors from tourism to hydrogen energy and water management.

Notably, the COP29 Truce Appeal has already garnered support from 127 countries and over 1,100 non-state actors. This appeal calls for a cessation of conflicts during the COP29 period, aiming to reduce military emissions and promote global peace alongside climate action.

One of the central initiatives, the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, is particularly ambitious, aiming to increase global energy storage capacity sixfold, to 1,500 GW.

This represents a critical step in the transition to renewable energy, as enhanced storage and grid infrastructure are essential to managing intermittent energy sources like wind and solar power.

The documents aim to encourage governments to incorporate these pledges into their national climate strategies while providing a framework for non-state actors to align their efforts with global climate goals.

These initiatives cover a wide range of sectors, from digital transformation in green energy to reducing methane emissions from organic waste.

In addition to these pledges, the presidency will also release a detailed program of events for the summit, aiming to galvanize global climate action. These events will bring together key stakeholders for in-depth discussions and serve as platforms for launching the various declarations.

Host nation Azerbaijan is expected to play a central role in ensuring the success of these events, which are expected to drive forward global climate commitments.

Mukhtar Babayev, president-designate of COP29, emphasized the importance of these pledges, stating that they serve as vital tools in advancing climate action. According to Babayev, while signing these pledges alone will not achieve the necessary transformations, they are crucial in sending clear market signals, directing financial investments, and fostering a collective sense of responsibility.

He highlighted the early support for the COP29 Truce Appeal as a promising example of how climate action and global peace are interconnected.

These initiatives, while separate from the formal UNFCCC negotiations, are designed to provide additional opportunities for climate action, particularly for non-state actors who play a vital role in the global response to climate change.

The COP29 Presidency encourages all stakeholders to review the final texts and consider endorsing these climate initiatives, which collectively aim to accelerate progress towards achieving the goals set by the Paris Agreement.