COP29: France denounces “a disappointing agreement” and “not up to the challenges”

Despite “several advances”including the tripling of funding for poor countries threatened by climate change, the Baku conference was marked “by real disorganization and a lack of leadership from the presidency” Azerbaijani, said the minister in a statement sent to AFP. “The text on finance was adopted in a climate of confusion and contested by several countries”recalled Ms. Pannier-Runacher, judging the agreement “not up to the challenge”.

The 29th United Nations Conference on Climate Change adopted several decisions, the main of which set the obligation for rich countries to finance at least 300 billion dollars per year by 2035 to support the energy transition and adaptation to climate change. climate change in developing countries. But the representative of the 45 poorest countries on the planet, who hoped for much more, denounced an agreement “not ambitious”.

Tensions

Nevertheless, recalled Ms. Pannier-Runacher, “this commitment is in addition to that on tripling renewable energies by 2030 and tripling nuclear capacities by 2050, made in Dubai last year. Added to this is a global climate financing objective, all sources combined, of 1,300 billion dollars, necessary to accelerate the transition to a world without fossil fuels”.

Among the “advances” noted by the French minister also appears “a historic agreement, after nine years of negotiations, on a voluntary carbon market framework, with a desire to guarantee environmental integrity”which “could allow real development of international carbon credit markets”.

“On the other hand, on mitigation, no text has been adopted, which sends a very negative message and marks a real failure for this COP29”she added.

For Ms Pannier-Runacher, who had canceled her trip to Baku against a backdrop of diplomatic tensions between France and Azerbaijan, “this COP was marked more broadly by real disorganization and an absence of leadership from the presidency, which failed to rise to the challenge”. “Our hopes now point towards COP30 which will be chaired by Brazil”she said.

Ms. Pannier-Runacher finally assured that France remained “strongly committed to solidarity with developing countries, with 7.2 billion euros in climate financing in 2023, including 2.8 billion for adaptation, or nearly 10% of global finance for adaptation “.