Climate Change: Tall Claims, Heavy Targets but No Money

The so called finance COP Conference of Parties 29 has ended at Baku with sheer disappointment wherein developed countries did not come out with any clear mandate or commitment to support climate action. The New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) text remained glaringly incomplete without the concrete numbers for the finance goal – the very cornerstone of any agreement at COP29 and the unwavering demand of developing countries throughout this summit.The texts, finalised following a period of public consultation, include:

• COP29 Truce Appeal
• COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge
• COP29 Green Energy Zones and Corridors Pledge
• COP29 Hydrogen Declaration
• COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action
• COP29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste
• COP29 Multisectoral Actions Pathways (MAP) Declaration to Resilient and Healthy Cities
• COP29 Declaration on Enhanced Action in Tourism
• COP29 Declaration on Water for Climate Action

The most significant adoption amongst above is The Truce appeal which has got support from 127 countries and nearly 1100 non sector actors. It calls for a pause in conflict during the COP 29 period to reduce emissions from military activities and promote global peace. It becomes important considering conflict going on in several parts of the world like Ukraine- Russia war which is over 1000 days old and military actions in the Israel -Palestine area including Iran and many more such conflict, emitting carbon heavily into the atmosphere acting as the major contributor to Global Warming. It is interesting that major focus during dialogues is targeted on reduction in fossil fuel, reducing food waste and many such measures to combat adversaries of climate change action but no serious attempts are made to project these conflicts as major contributors to global warming. Besides generating high temperature in the atmosphere such actions also emit toxic materials and chemicals to pollute air. Western media come heavily on poor air quality index of some Indian cities due to poor waste management or Biomass management but not much is highlighted on emissions due to military actions. Countries like United States being the major manufacturers and supplier of arms and ammunition can take a definitive action in this direction by enforcement of reduction or ban on trading of arms. Truth remains that governance is mainly driven by the market and particularly countries like United States have direct dependence on such industries. Conference also did not discuss emissions due 2 upcoming ventures like space tourism wherein spacecrafts are instrumental in creating heat through turbine fuel emissions. On the name of development much harm is done to forests and other natural assets to create infrastructure without having any consideration of sustainability. There is no denial on enhancing connectivity but its appropriateness, relevance and local need should be first assessed. As principle of sustainability, infrastructure should be created using local resources to reduce transportation, least harm to available natural resources.

During the conference, it was realised that energy storage and limitation of grid is a major challenge which may threaten the future of energy utilisation and efficiency. In particular for renewable energy , it has been concluded that distance between place of production and its actual demand need to be tackled for energy efficiency. Hence, it was emphasised to work on improving connectivity and storage. The Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, led by the COP29 Presidency, aims to achieve a global target of 1,500 GW in energy storage (a six-fold increase in storage) and 25 million kilometres of grid infrastructure by 2030 and an additional 65 million kilometres by 2040. The ability to store and dispatch renewable energy whenever needed, is an essential component of the clean energy transition and integral to meeting the target of tripling renewables. Beyond 2030, need for storage will continue to accelerate with wide diversity of technologies and durations required to decarbonise global electricity systems, energy-intensive industrial processes.

COP29 HYDROGEN DECLARATION

The third pledge entailed the Hydrogen Declaration, which aims to catalyse a global clean hydrogen market. This year the countries are specifically encouraged to include hydrogen in their national climate and energy plans and to monitor the progress made at COP30.

TRACKING IMPLEMENTATION OF COP28 OBJECTIVES

The IEA’s recent report titled ‘From Taking Stock to Taking Action: How to Implement the COP28 Energy Goals’ forms the basis of the three energy pledges that were announced on the energy day at COP29. It underlines that achieving the tripling renewables by 2030 goal is possible with faster capacity expansion but delayed issuing of permits for new grid expansions, a lack of investment in many (often state-owned) grid companies in emerging market and developing economies and old and outdated grids in advanced economies are touted as key bottlenecks. Moreover, failure to take action would result in higher electricity prices, more coal, gas generation, higher curtailment of renewables and much higher emissions. The analysis explores risks of partial implementation of the tripling goal by 2030, in which grids and storage lag behind required expansion of capacity, resulting in almost 40% more coal generation, higher curtailment.

Following the announcement, a lot depends on how the pledges will be incorporated into national policy targets and how they will help in realising the initial commitment of tripling Renewable Energy by 2030.

COP29 represents a defining moment for the biogas industry, with the treatment of food and organic waste for the first time being at heart of a formal COP declaration. COP29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Wastewill require that national climate policies set concrete targets to reduce methane from waste, food systems, aligning with 1.5°C goal. Signatories commit to launching concrete policies, roadmaps to meet these sectoral methane targets ahead of COP30 in Brazil. 30 countries representing 47% of global methane emissions from organic waste have signed the declaration. Above declarations and commitments as resolved during COP29 appears to be promising and ambitious but as it concludes the major impediment remains as finance to achieve the set targets.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Dr Vivek S Agarwal, The writer is specialist on Urban Health and Environment