UN Climate Change Conference set to start in Azerbaijan

ISTANBUL

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will kick off in the Azerbaijani capital Baku on Monday, aiming to address escalating climate challenges.

Leaders from around the world are set to gather in Baku for the event, running until Nov. 22.

“With global temperatures hitting record highs, and extreme weather events affecting people around the globe, COP29 will bring together leaders from governments, business and civil society to advance concrete solutions to the defining issue of our time,” according to the UN.

“A key focus of COP29 will be on finance, as trillions of dollars are required for countries to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening impacts of climate change.”

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a multilateral treaty established in 1992, following the first assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Its main aim is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations to prevent dangerous human-induced interference with the climate system.

Since entering into force in 1994, the UNFCCC has served as the foundation for global climate negotiations, leading to significant agreements like the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Today, 198 Parties participate in annual meetings to assess progress and forge responses to the climate crisis.