The group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) has expressed dissatisfaction with the results of COP-29, calling it unproductive and a betrayal to vulnerable nations.
They have criticised the 29th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which began on November 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan, for not addressing the interests of countries facing climate crises. The rich and highest carbon-emitting countries have been reluctant to take concrete steps for climate change mitigation, they accuse.
Although the conference was scheduled to conclude last Friday, November 22, it ended two days later on Sunday as countries struggled to reach an agreement.
The LDCs have pointed out that the countries primarily responsible for the climate crisis have once again sabotaged the campaign for the least developed ones. “As we leave Baku, there are no ambitious climate finance goals, no concrete plans to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C, and no clear results regarding adaptation measures, loss and damage compensation, or necessary financial support,” said LDC chairperson Evans Njewa in a press statement. “This is not just a failure but a betrayal.”
He added that the tireless efforts of the least developed countries for justice and solutions to the climate crisis have been disregarded. Njewa criticised powerful nations for ignoring the lives of billions of people at the forefront of the climate crisis.
“The outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference has ignored the voices of over a billion people,” he said. “Despite our efforts to agree on significant agendas, our calls were ignored. This weakens the fundamental trust in such negotiations and mocks the spirit of global unity.”
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The failure to reach a consensus on New Collective Quantitative Goals (NCQGs) was also highlighted as a symbol of failure.
“There was no agreement on our ambition in the NCQGs, which does not align with the urgent needs of the moment. The most vulnerable sectors have been neglected, and the needs of LDCs and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have been ignored. The disregard for loss and damage will leave LDCs suffering the consequences of the climate crisis,” Njewa's statement emphasised.
Njewa serves as the chairperson of the LDCs and is also the focal point for climate change and UNFCCC relations in the government of Malawi.
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The LDC group represents 45 countries from Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Caribbean, with a combined population of over a billion.
Nepal's Perspective on COP29 Outcomes
Dr. Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, head of the Climate Change Management Division at Nepal’s Ministry of Forest and Environment, told RSS, the state-owned news agency, that the COP29 outcomes were not as expected.
“The LDCs’ perspective is also Nepal’s perspective, and we did not see the outcome we had hoped at COP,” he said. “Our demand was for climate finance support of $1.3 trillion annually, but only $300 billion has been pledged, although $1.3 trillion was documented. We must continue pushing for it."
Read: Nepal to Present Glaring Examples of Climate-Induced Risks as COP29 Begins in Baku
He, however, said that documentation of the issue of mountains in the COP29 was an achievement for Nepal and expected that a decision would be made on it in the next COP.
“The decision on NCQGs has advanced. We asked for an increase in the size of the multilateral funds and bilateral aid, which will help us advocate for climate finance with donors,” he said. “Nepal is preparing to enter the carbon market, and although there may be challenges in carbon trade, we can move forward with the Paris Agreement.”
Victory for Large Economies and High Carbon Emitters
Nepali representatives at COP expressed mixed feelings about the summit’s outcomes. Some were optimistic about certain agreements, but others felt disappointed by unresolved issues.
“In multilateral negotiations, there should be no winners or losers, but at COP-29, the largest economies and highest carbon emitters triumphed, leaving behind the countries most affected by climate change with minimal progress on climate finance and emission reductions,” climate expert Manjeet Dhakal told RSS. “Looking back at the COP achievements, it’s clear that countries like Nepal, which are vulnerable to climate disasters, still need to secure necessary resources and work further to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.”
Climate Finance and Carbon Emissions
Dhakal highlighted that the agreement on the new climate finance target (NCQG) was a key positive outcome of COP, with developed countries agreeing to provide up to $300 billion annually to developing nations.
However, he noted a lack of cooperation from wealthy nations on carbon emission reduction agendas, particularly from nations dependent on petroleum production and sales.
Read: Climate Finance, Mountain Agenda Nepal’s Top Priorities at COP29: Officials
Meanwhile UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also commented on the COP-29 results, stating that the agreements on climate finance and carbon emission reduction were not as expected in terms of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
RSS
