Ministers take the reins as COP29 enters crucial stage

Inside the vibrant Baku Stadium in Azerbaijan, the atmosphere is charged with anticipation as the focus shifts to the Ministers of Environment, who now hold the ball in their court, to move COP29 to the finish line. Meanwhile, the negotiators, now benched, remain engaged as key advisors, contributing valuable insights from the bench.

It is now the half-time mark of this crucial conference, with only a few days remaining before it draws to a close. The African delegates, keenly observing the negotiations, express their disappointment as they see little movement on their most pressing request: securing climate finance to support urgent climate action on the continent.

A palpable sense of pessimism fills the air, yet the spirit of hope persists. The stakes are high, and the eyes of the world are watching closely as leaders aim to shape the future of global climate policy.

The ministers now carry this hope, and in an afternoon closed-door meeting with ministers from Africa on Sunday, the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) chair Ali Mohamed reminded them to 'fight on': "Africa is not happy, but we won't lose hope."

In an exclusive interview with Nation after the Sunday African Ministerial Conference on Environment meeting, Kenya's Environment Principal Secretary Festus Ng'eno, said that only ministers can save the day.

"The African Group of Negotiators are still pushing for the $1.3 trillion per year by 2030, but as we end this week and begin the new one, the ministers will have a lot of work to do since there has been no comprehensive agreement on any of the various agenda items on finance," he told the Nation.

In a press conference Monday morning, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who arrived in Rio de Janeiro straight from Baku, reminded the G20 countries who position themselves as global leaders to simply walk the talk.

"Now is the time for leadership by example from the world's largest economies and emitters," he said.

Unlike last year, when countries pledged funds for Loss and Damage in the first week, this year has been quite sluggish.

The Loss and Damage fund is a kitty that caters for the impacts of climate change that could not be adapted to or mitigated, leading to economic and non-economic losses such as destroyed infrastructure and crops and loss of lives and livelihoods.

It is at the Dubai COP that the Loss and Damage fund was officially operationalised and countries pledged at least $700 million before the end of COP28. Civil societies attending COP29 insist that more should be done on financing Loss and Damage.

"The bubble of hope to get the Loss and Damage Fund up and running has burst. We are pretty much where we were last year when the Fund was operationalised: it is there but countries' pledges are thousands of times below what is needed," said – Obed Koringo, Climate Policy Advisor in a press statement by Care International.

"As we kick off the second week, we urge developed countries to scale up their commitments and pledge meaningful funding to meet the needs of climate-vulnerable communities," he added.

In a statement made by the AGN chair, Mr Mohamed on behalf of Kenya and Africa, he said that while Africa is happy with the strides made towards the Loss and Damage fund so far, there is still more that can be done.

"We call for swift action to establish a replenishment process, ensuring resources are timely, adequate, and transparent," he said yesterday afternoon.

"Africa holds immense potential for climate action, from abundant renewable energy resources to vast natural carbon sinks. However, unlocking this potential requires addressing key barriers: Resource Constraints, Energy Access Gaps, and Structural Vulnerabilities," he added.

Even as countries are still dilly-dallying on climate finance, global temperatures continue to soar, and its impacts are felt by human beings around the world.

Earlier this year, hundreds of Kenyans lost their lives in floods linked to the El Niño whose intensity, scientists say, keeps worsening because of climate change.

In the first week of the COP29, Climate and Health proponents called for an update of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to squeeze in Health as part of their goals under the Paris Agreement.

All countries that signed the Paris Agreement including Kenya, are expected to update their NDCs –which are set goals by countries aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, in 2025.