The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) wrapped up last week, leaving in its wake a number of key takeaways—and climate-conscious global citizens asking “What happened at COP29?”
Every year, COP attendees evaluate the previous year’s progress towards environmental initiatives and work to make commitments and plans into the future. At its core, each COP event leaves the world with an underlying, unifying current—that working together is the only way to move forward to maximize sustainability and achieve goals.
This collaboration can mean:
- Demonstrating a commitment to developing countries that are more impacted by climate change
- Working as a global community toward more eco-friendly practices for the benefit of all
- Entering agreements with other like-minded organizations and agencies to show commitment to sustainable best practices
- Demanding sustainability within procurement and supply chain operations
- Working only with sustainability-minded partners, ones that accentuate your programs instead of detracting from them
- Knowledge-sharing with support organizations and other peers to ensure all are equipped to implement eco-friendly changes
- Prioritizing the use of staff and on-site support personnel who can take you further toward your goals
Only when we are all working together will we be able to tackle a problem so large and complex as global climate change.
When was the COP started?
The COP began meeting and making climate-informed decisions at the first FCCC in March of 1995 in Berlin, Germany. Since then, this conference has met every year to discuss climate threats, analyze challenges to progress, celebrate big wins, and set sustainability goals.
What is COP29 in a nutshell, and why is it important? Why is it called COP29?
“COP29” refers to the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At this event, environmental leaders and stakeholders across the globe come together to discuss the past, present, and future of climate action and sustainable leadership.
Where was COP29 held?
This year, COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Can anyone go to the COP? Who attends the COP? How many people went to COP29?
Not everyone can attend the COP. Only top minds and influential people from relevant parties, including as it related to the Convention, the United Nations, or related organizations/agencies, are granted access. This also includes members of the media and certain “observer” non-profit organizations.
Over 60,000 people attended 2024’s COP29.
What countries are in COP29?
Countries that are “Member States” of the United Nations (UN) can send representatives to the COP; all states that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP. There are 193 current Member States that are party to the UN, and include countries from all five UN regional groups: Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe. The United States of America (US) was in attendance at COP29.
Which countries did not attend COP29?
Small developing states and islands have reportedly lost faith in the COP process and thus did not attend COP29. Other countries, like the US and Argentina, are also pulling out of the COP and may result in even further countries pulling out.
What was the biggest success of last year’s COP, COP28?
The biggest success of COP28 was that almost 200 countries worked together and agreed to transition away from fossil fuels.
What was the main agenda at COP29?
At COP29, representatives reviewed COP28’s successes and determined steps for the future. Unfortunately, the successes of COP28 (the energy pledges and a transition away from fossil fuels) were lacking in momentum at COP29.
What are the key outcomes of COP29?
Climate finance and carbon markets were the main subjects at COP29:
- An extra $200 billion (for a total of $300 billion) was allotted to climate finance funds for developing countries to receive by 2035 to combat climate change impacts. Many poorer or developing countries felt this sum was too small and disappointing, whereas many richer or more developed countries were surprised this funding was met with such backlash.
- New national plans outlining countries’ carbon-cutting initiatives over the next ten years is set to be published in the spring.
- Global cooperation was a hot topic. COP29 participants worked to solidify commitments while simultaneously many criticized the COP’s role as a motivator and key event for climate progress.
- A global architecture for carbon markets was more solidified and put into action.
- The global community must work together to support developing countries and negate climate change risks.
Are pledges made at COP29 binding?
Pledges made at any COP typically do not tend to be legally binding; this is true for commitments made at COP29. These pledges only represent the commitment from these countries, but there is no solid enforcement to guarantee fulfillment. This is why the COPs tend to be controversial, as commitments rely on politicians to implement them.
Will COP29 make any difference?
Time will tell if the commitments made at COP29 will make a solid difference for sustainability, but if countries work together we can all work to make a better world.
Where and when will COP30 take place?
COP30 will take place from November 10-21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil.
So, what happened at COP29? The global community came together. Financial commitments were strengthened, carbon-cutting plans were outlined, and carbon market architecture was solidified. Perhaps most importantly, though, is that COP29 was an opportunity for countries across the globe to give feedback and let one another know what’s working—and what’s not working—in the global fight for a safe, habitable, and healthy planet. The future of the COP is uncertain, but COP29 fully displayed the need for tangible action and planet-wide teamwork.
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