COP29 president blames “inflexible” Northern countries to justify “imperfect” agreement

The president of COP29, Mukhtar Babaev, criticizes the Northern countries for having been too “inflexible” on the amount of climate aid and for having waited too long to show their cards, to justify an “imperfect” final agreement and sharply criticized, particularly by the countries of the South.

According to him, “the Chinese were ready to offer more if others did the same (but the others did not)”, he explained Monday in an article published in the British daily Guardian.

This agreement, which allocates $300 billion in climate financing by 2035 to the least developed countries from the richest countries, due to their historic responsibility for global warming, “is perhaps imperfect. It does not satisfy everyone”, recognizes Mr. Babaev, also Minister of Ecology of Azerbaijan.

“But it constitutes a major advance compared to the 100 billion dollars”, the amount of the previous commitment from developed countries, he estimates.

On several occasions, several countries have criticized the Azerbaijani presidency for a lack of leadership and a lack of preparation, notably France and Germany. And many countries, particularly from the South, judged the amount of aid granted to be too low and criticized the way in which the agreement had been adopted, according to them, without giving them time to study it or formulate their objections. .

“For the countries of the South, it seemed like a fait accompli. My negotiating team ardently pleaded for the projects to be made public much earlier,” says Mr. Babaev, before explaining that the project was presented late “because the Global North was simply inflexible to our efforts to increase this figure or announce it earlier.”

And even if he judges that ultimately the “contribution of the industrialized world is too weak” and that “of the private sector is too theoretical”, he also recalls that this agreement “almost did not take place. (… .). All COPs have deadlines (to meet) and ours had arrived.”

“Politicians from all countries, each in their own way, although faced with their own limitations, did their best” to reach an agreement, Mr. Babaev said.

“What we agreed in Baku will help slow the effects of human-caused climate change, but it is not enough. It does not end the debate over who pays,” he concludes, giving an appointment to COP30 to continue efforts.

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