Day 6 at COP29, pivotal discussions highlighted climate action’s promise and challenges. The first-ever ‘Digitalisation Day’ showcased the potential of AI and big data in optimising energy use and climate adaptation but also flagged the growing environmental costs of digitisation.
Protests inside the venue continued to draw attention to critical issues like climate finance, gender justice and just transitions, constrained by the host settings. Meanwhile, the fossil fuel transition remains a contentious topic, with divisions over how to address it in the mitigation work programme. Can these debates yield the bold, unified action needed to drive transformative change ahead of COP30?
Climate Protests in COP Venues
- COP29 marks the third consecutive summit where climate protests occurred inside the venue due to the host governments, limiting public participation.
- Activists rallied in plenary rooms and formed a human chain outside, restricted to humming and finger-snapping due to UNFCCC rules prohibiting noise near negotiation rooms.
- Protestors highlighted issues including climate finance, a just transition, gender justice, and peace, despite limited visibility for their actions.
Green Digital Action: Leveraging Technology for Climate Solutions
- COP29 introduced its first-ever ‘Digitalisation Day’ with over 1,000 stakeholders endorsing the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action to advance climate action through digital technologies.
- Technologies like AI and big data are pivotal for optimising energy use, climate monitoring, early warning systems, and accelerating climate adaptation and mitigation.
- Increased digitisation raises energy demand, greenhouse gas emissions, and e-waste, requiring urgent action to minimise the environmental footprint of digital tech.
- High-level debates explored balancing the benefits of digital innovation with its environmental costs, focusing on sustainable solutions for data centres and AI energy use.
“Let’s keep building our green digital momentum all the way to COP30, and with it, a more sustainable digital future for generations to come”
– ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin
2024 Rio G20 Summit in Parallel to COP29
- As COP29 is absent of many world leaders, G20 has been urged to discuss climate change.
- G20 leaders will convene in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 18-19 November 2024, under the motto “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.”
- Key Priorities: Discussions will focus on three main areas: social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty, global governance reform, and sustainable development with an energy transition.
- The first session will address inequality, financial inclusion, international tax cooperation, and food security.
“I am concerned about the state of the negotiations at COP29 in Baku” – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres”
Switzerland detail accelerated commitment to Net-Zero
- Near-Term Goals: Switzerland’s first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) aims to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, with a 35% reduction targeted by 2025.
- Switzerland plans to achieve some of its emissions reductions by working with other countries through international carbon offset agreements under the Paris Agreement, rather than reducing all emissions fully within its own borders.
- The Climate and Innovation Act underpins Switzerland’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, aligning with the 1.5°C warming limit.
“For a country like Switzerland, one of the richest places on the planet, a 50% cut is far from sufficient” – 350.org
Fossil Fuel Transition: COP29’s Stalemate
- COP29 struggles to advance last year’s fossil fuel transition pledge, with debates on whether to address energy transition under finance or broader mitigation talks.
- Countries are debating the role of fossil fuels in the Mitigation Work Programme, which aims to accelerate emissions reductions. China and Saudi Arabia oppose including fossil fuels, while the EU and UK push for their phase-out to be central.
- Fiji’s Deputy PM, Biman Prasad, stresses the need for strong international funding to help countries shift away from fossil fuels.
