Key Events from COP29’s Fifth and Sixth Day

Friday, 15 November, was the fifth day on the twenty ninth assembly of the United Nations Local weather Summit (COP29) within the windy Metropolis of Baku in Azerbaijan, and it was themed Vitality/Peace, Aid and Restoration day.

To mark this present day, high-level delegations, local weather activists and advocates attending the convention hosted a number of occasions throughout pavilions and assembly rooms amidst ongoing efforts to attain simply vitality transition and foster peace throughout local weather susceptible international locations globally.

This got here towards the backdrop of robust commitments that purpose at “constructing a powerful basis to measure progress, and foster a way of shared duty and urgency throughout all sectors of society,” the COP29 organisers famous.

All through the day, a number of initiatives and pledges aimed toward scaling up renewable energies and low-carbon applied sciences have been endorsed by delegates and get together members.

Nonetheless, there are lingering considerations concerning the ongoing local weather negotiations amidst perceived geopolitics and slow-paced choices on local weather motion. This pushed some local weather activists and leaders on the COP venue to name negotiators to “Yasunize” fossil gasoline (depart fossil gasoline within the floor).

Key initiatives launched

On the vitality thematic day, the COP29 presidency formally launched three Vitality Initiatives, calling for endorsements for the COP29 International Vitality Storage and Grids Pledge.

In line with the organisers, the endorsers decide to a collective aim of deploying 1,500 GW of vitality storage globally by 2030. This, they are saying, is greater than six instances the capability of 2022. It additionally features a dedication so as to add or refurbish 25 million kilometres of grids globally by 2030, recognising the necessity to add or refurbish an extra 65 million kilometres by 2040.

The COP29 Inexperienced Vitality Pledge

The COP hosts mentioned endorsers decide to selling inexperienced vitality zones and corridors, which might join sources of considerable inexperienced vitality era with the communities most in want by growing bigger intraregional and interregional interconnected energy grids.

The COP29 Hydrogen Declaration

Additionally, organisers mentioned endorsers decide to scaling up renewable, clear/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen manufacturing and speed up the decarbonisation of present hydrogen manufacturing from unabated fossil fuels.

They mentioned these are aimed toward considerably rising inexperienced hydrogen manufacturing from 1 million tonnes yearly and decreasing the 96 Mt of hydrogen presently produced from unabated fossil fuels.

Battle and humanitarian wants by

The COP29 presidency hinted that the Vitality thematic day additionally addresses the essential nexus of local weather change by unveiling “The COP Truce Attraction.”

Organisers mentioned this symbolises the position of cooperation and peace as indispensable elements of world local weather motion.

“132 international locations have joined the Attraction, which is supported by over a thousand worldwide establishments, personal sector representatives, civil society organisations and influential public figures,” the COP29 presidency mentioned.

Equally, the presidency, in collaboration with Egypt, Italy, Germany, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK, launched the Baku Name on Local weather Motion for Peace, Aid, and Restoration.

This was described as a milestone initiative aimed toward addressing the pressing nexus of local weather change, battle, and humanitarian wants.

Science, Know-how, Innovation and Digitalisation Day

Saturday, 16 November, was tagged the Science and Know-how/Digitalisation Day at COP in Baku, and it was the primary of its variety within the historical past of COP conferences.

On the day, the COP29 presidency hosted the primary Digitalisation Day in collaboration with the Worldwide Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the UNFCCC Know-how Govt Committee (TEC), reflecting the essential position of expertise in addressing the lingering local weather disaster .

At a Excessive-Degree Roundtable on Inexperienced Digital Motion, the COP29 Inexperienced Digital Declaration was introduced. It addresses the challenges and alternatives in harnessing expertise for local weather motion, organisers mentioned.

They famous that the Declaration builds on efforts launched at COP28 in Dubai final yr by ITU and over 40 companions.

On the inaugural digitalisation assembly, the COP Presidency launched the COP29 Inexperienced Digital Declaration, with endorsements from greater than 90 governments and over 1,000 members of the digital tech neighborhood.

In line with the COP presidency, the declaration will deal with leveraging digital instruments for local weather motion and utilizing digital expertise to drive vitality effectivity, improve data-driven decision-making, and assist sustainable client practices.

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It is usually meant to handle the environmental impacts of digitalisation by tackling the environmental footprint of digital growth, together with vitality consumption, materials use, and e-waste from digital infrastructure.

Equally, it’s to advertise digital inclusion and accessibility, the place events are to make sure digital options are accessible to all, bridging divides and fostering equitable local weather resilience.

This report is printed as a part of COP29 Reporting Fellowship of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Growth.