The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, has rekindled discussions about the structural inadequacies of the COP process. While the global policy framework to combat climate change is robust, the persistent rise in global emissions, degradation of carbon sinks, and worsening climate impacts demand a shift from negotiation to action.

These challenges have prompted prominent climate leaders, including former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Action Research Johan Rockström, to issue an open letter urging systemic reforms to the COP process.

Key Reforms Suggested in the Open Letter

The letter, dated November 15, 2024, outlines a seven-point plan for COP reform:

1. Eligibility for COP Presidencies: Exclude countries reliant on fossil fuel economies from hosting COPs to ensure high ambition toward the Paris Agreement goals.
2. Streamlined Action-Focused COPs: Transform COPs into smaller, frequent meetings to benchmark and accelerate climate action based on the latest science.
3. Accountability Mechanisms: Strengthen the Global Stocktake process with independent scientific oversight and transparent tracking of national pledges.
4. Climate Finance Clarity: Establish standard definitions for climate finance and robust mechanisms to track and ensure equitable distribution.
5. Permanent Scientific Advisory Body: Integrate a dedicated advisory body within COP, akin to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s scientific mechanisms.
6. Linking Social and Planetary Stability: Appoint a Climate-Poverty Policy Envoy to address the intersection of climate justice, inequality, and ecological degradation.
7. Representation Equity: Address the imbalance caused by fossil fuel lobbyists overshadowing vulnerable nations at climate negotiations.

Moreblessings Chidaushe, WaterAid’s regional advocacy manager based in South Africa, has called for a “radical reset” of the COP process, highlighting its growing inaccessibility and exclusivity. Speaking to Euronews Green, she emphasized that what should exemplify global cooperation now excludes Indigenous peoples, local communities, and smaller economies from meaningful participation.

“These groups, including frontline communities in Southern Africa facing deadly droughts and floods, are denied influence over COP29 outcomes despite their firsthand knowledge of climate needs,” she said.

Chidaushe urged all UNFCCC parties to re-center COP discussions around those most affected by climate change, removing financial and practical barriers to attendance and empowering local and Indigenous leadership. She warned that without prioritizing these voices, failure is inevitable.

Laurence Tubiana, head of the European Climate Foundation, responded to the open letter on COP reform with a nuanced perspective. She acknowledged the frustrations surrounding the slow pace of multilateral climate negotiations, especially given the urgency for accelerated action.

However, Tubiana emphasized the critical importance of multilateralism as the foundation of climate progress saying, “The Paris Agreement was reached because all countries – large and small, rich and poor – were included. Its legitimacy stems from its multilateral nature.”

Tubiana conceded that reforms are necessary, particularly in strengthening accountability, improving delivery, and amplifying the voices of frontline and subnational actors. Nevertheless, she cautioned against sidelining the consensus-building process, which fosters trust and legitimacy.

She also defended the rotating COP presidency system as an essential feature that allows all countries to lead while highlighting the responsibility of host nations to act impartially and uphold scientific integrity.

In her view, COPs must remain venues for collective climate action rather than platforms for individual sectors to advance agendas counterproductive to climate progress. Misusing the presidency role, she warned, could undermine international credibility and weaken the trust necessary for global cooperation.

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Drawing from the African Climate Summit, he highlighted innovative projects like Kenya’s electric motorcycles and buses and the launch of Africa’s first direct air capture company. These initiatives showcase Africa’s potential to turn climate challenges into economic opportunities, although much of this progress has been made without direct help from the UN climate process.

Ambassador Mohamed pointed out the stark reality facing Africa: despite the continent’s determination to strengthen resilience and pursue low-carbon growth, a true global fight against climate change requires genuine support and financial commitment from all countries. He noted the troubling fact that more money is leaving Africa for debt payments than is being reinvested into climate solutions, and the high borrowing costs create further barriers for African nations striving for sustainable development.

He called for bold financial commitments at COP29, proposing a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) of at least $1.3 trillion each year, which includes $600 billion in public, grant-based funding. He dismissed the outdated $100 billion target, urging developed countries to step up their contributions to meet the scale of the climate crisis and Africa’s specific needs.

Ambassador Mohamed made an emotional appeal for global leaders to move away from “business-as-usual” financing habits and take decisive action. He warned that the current moment is crucial; acting now is far more cost-effective than waiting, and failure to make ambitious commitments risks eroding trust in leadership, especially among young people who are increasingly frustrated by slow progress.

He concluded with a heartfelt plea for unity, ambition, and fairness, urging developed nations to come to the NCQG negotiations with a spirit of solidarity. He emphasized the importance of achieving a financial goal at COP29 that is not only ambitious but also inclusive, benefiting both people and the planet. This, he insisted, is vital for realizing the goals of the Paris Agreement and building a sustainable future for all.

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Consider this: many nations are redirecting up to 9% of their national budgets to manage the fallout from these climate disasters. This diversion siphons resources away from critical sectors like healthcare, education, and infrastructure, deepening inequalities and stifling development ambitions.

In sub-Saharan Africa, where resilience is paramount, the price tag for climate adaptation is staggering—an estimated US$30–50 billion annually over the next decade. For nations struggling to balance basic service delivery with debt repayments, this financial burden is unsustainable. It perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty and vulnerability, locking millions into precarious livelihoods.

The human face of this crisis is sobering. Farmers lose entire harvests to unpredictable rains. Communities are displaced by rising waters. Urban centers buckle under the weight of climate-induced migration. Without transformative investment in green technologies, sustainable practices, and global solidarity, the continent risks being pulled further into the abyss of climate inequity

Reference

   African Development Bank (2022). Climate Change in Africa: Key Facts.

   World Bank (2021). Africa’s Pulse: Climate Change and Development Challenges. the world: climate inaction isn’t just a moral failure; it’s an economic and social catastrophe that spares no border.

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If fully implemented, the Kyoto Protocol has the potential to achieve significant environmental and social outcomes:

1. Emission Reductions: By enforcing reductions in carbon dioxide and other GHGs, the Protocol can contribute to curbing global temperature rise, slowing climate change impacts like extreme weather, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss.
2. Promotion of Sustainable Development: Through mechanisms like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which encourages green investments in developing countries, the Protocol supports sustainable economic development, green technologies, and resilience-building in vulnerable regions.
3. Foundation for Future Agreements: The Kyoto Protocol laid the groundwork for more comprehensive agreements like the Paris Agreement by demonstrating the feasibility and importance of binding emission targets.
4. Encouraging Accountability and Reporting: The Protocol requires participating countries to monitor and report their emissions, which promotes transparency and accountability in international climate efforts.
5. Financial and Technological Support: By recognizing the need for financial and technological aid to developing nations, the Protocol fosters global cooperation essential for addressing climate change inclusively.

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The Paris Agreement embodies the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR), acknowledging that while all nations have a duty to combat climate change, those with a longer history of emissions bear greater responsibility. This principle speaks directly to the situation facing developing nations today. These countries, which have contributed the least to global emissions, are now experiencing the most severe consequences: coastal communities are swallowed by rising seas, agricultural economies are wrecked by droughts, and infrastructure is devastated by intense storms. These impacts disrupt livelihoods, health, and economies, often requiring scarce resources to be diverted from development projects toward recovery and adaptation efforts.

In Baku, delegates are confronted with the stark reality that without substantial climate finance, the Paris Agreement goals will remain out of reach. While developing countries work to transition their economies and build resilience, they lack the financial resources to do so at the pace required by the climate crisis. Here, the role of developed countries becomes pivotal. Under the Paris Agreement, wealthier nations pledged to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 to support climate action in developing nations. But this commitment has largely fallen short, and the financial gap widens with each passing year, undermining the ability of vulnerable nations to meet even their most immediate adaptation needs, let alone pursue ambitious mitigation goals.

COP 29 in Baku offers a critical juncture to reframe and strengthen climate finance commitments. To truly honor the Paris Agreement, developed countries must not only fulfill previous pledges but also recognize the need for transformative approaches. Mechanisms like resilience-based bonds, climate debt relief, and dedicated funding for loss and damage could provide a sustainable path forward. These innovative financial models would address both the immediate needs of developing nations to cope with climate impacts and the long-term goal of reducing global emissions equitably.

Developing nations, for their part, continue to demonstrate remarkable commitment to the Paris Agreement goals, often achieving significant climate actions with minimal resources. From ambitious reforestation projects to renewable energy transitions, they are contributing to the global climate agenda, despite bearing disproportionate climate impacts. But their continued efforts hinge on fair access to climate finance, technology, and capacity-building support from developed countries. Baku thus serves as a call for shared responsibility: developed countries must ensure that climate finance flows as promised, while developing nations require fair access to the means for sustainable, low-carbon growth.

As nations negotiate in Baku, they must ask themselves: Is the world ready to uphold the commitments of the Paris Agreement in both spirit and action? Achieving a net-zero future is not just about reducing emissions: it’s about ensuring resilience, equity, and justice for all. By acting on climate finance now, developed nations have the chance to become genuine partners in building a sustainable world, empowering developing countries not just to survive the impacts of climate change, but to thrive within a climate-secure future.

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Why COP29 Matters for Africa and the Global South

The effects of climate change are disproportionately felt in regions like Africa, despite contributing minimally to global emissions. From floods in Kenya to drought across the Horn of Africa, the impacts are severe, affecting communities, economies, and ecosystems. COP29 represents a pivotal moment for the Global South to secure fair, needs-based funding to build resilience and support adaptation.

This year’s conference will focus on establishing a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), which aims to address these funding gaps with a more ambitious, predictable, and transparent financial target. For Kenya, and Africa as a whole, this could mean more resources for vital adaptation projects, such as tree planting, ecosystem restoration, and the implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

Key Themes at COP29: Climate Finance, Adaptation, and Resilience

1. Climate Finance and the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)
   The NCQG is a reimagining of the $100 billion target that developed countries pledged back in 2009. COP29 offers the opportunity to set a financing framework that truly reflects the realities of climate needs in developing nations. Adequate climate finance would support:
   • Adaptation and resilience-building for vulnerable communities
   • Mitigation efforts to reduce emissions
   • Loss and damage compensation for nations experiencing irreversible climate impacts

   For Hearts of Green, this funding is essential to our mission of landscape repair and transformation. Our work in Kenya—such as tree planting, ecosystem restoration, and community engagement—is grounded in climate resilience, but requires sustainable, reliable funding.

2. Advancing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)
   NAPs are essential for nations to identify and address their unique climate vulnerabilities. COP29 will focus on accelerating progress from planning to actionable implementation of these adaptation strategies, moving from theory to action. Hearts of Green is committed to supporting Kenya’s adaptation efforts by engaging communities, planting trees, and building local resilience.
3. Loss and Damage Funding
   Extreme climate events, such as recent floods in Libya, hurricanes in North America, and wildfires across Southern Europe, highlight the need for loss and damage funding. Loss and damage is not about charity; it is a matter of climate justice. For communities in Kenya, this funding could be a lifeline to recover from climate-related disasters and to invest in preventive measures to minimize future damage.

At COP29, Hearts of Green will work closely with the Kenyan delegation to advocate for climate finance that supports adaptation and resilience for all communities, particularly those in vulnerable regions. Our focus is on:

• Landscape Repair and Transformation: Replanting degraded lands and empowering communities to nurture and protect natural resources.
• Community Engagement: Encouraging tree planting, raising awareness, and empowering locals to adopt climate-resilient practices.
• Advocating for Fair and Accessible Climate Finance: Ensuring that climate finance mechanisms are accessible to African nations, without excessive barriers.

Through strategic partnerships, we aim to ensure that voices from the Global South are heard and that climate commitments are meaningful and actionable.

Our vision for COP29 is clear: a global commitment to a fair, needs-based climate finance goal that allows nations like Kenya to address the challenges of climate change effectively. A successful outcome at COP29 will not only support our projects at Hearts of Green but will also pave the way for a more sustainable, resilient future for all.

Together, with strong partnerships and continued advocacy, we can transform landscapes, empower communities, and build climate resilience. Follow Hearts of Green as we work toward a greener future at COP29 and beyond.

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Today is the International Day of Forests. A day established to create awareness on the critical role of forests to social economic development.
This years theme is "Forests and Innovation" to acknowledge of innovation in finding solutions to challenges facing our forests. pic.twitter.com/5zp5rRndnx

— Hearts of Green (@HeartsOfGreen) March 21, 2024

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@Heartsofgreen organization wishes all our Muslim Brothers and Sisters Ramadhan Kareem!@followers#Ramadan#ramadhankareem pic.twitter.com/k249nzsKfD

— Hearts of Green (@HeartsOfGreen) March 12, 2024

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Offset your Carbon footprint.
Join the LANDSCAPE REPAIR AND TRANSFORMATION, an initiative of @UoNWMI Wangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environmental Studies and @HeartsOfGreen organization.#wangarimaathailegacy #BeTheLegacy#iAmTheLegacy#sustainablebusiness pic.twitter.com/2Eo1Guu6YG

— Hearts of Green (@HeartsOfGreen) March 9, 2024

15 BILLION TREES BY 2032
Be part of the Campaign. Join the LANDSCAPE REPAIR AND TRANSFORMATION by @HeartsOfGreen and @UoNWMI Wangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environmental Studies.#15BillionTrees#JazaMiti#BeTheLegacy#iAmTheLegacy pic.twitter.com/bYJZ5fR7bH

— Hearts of Green (@HeartsOfGreen) March 11, 2024

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The Life and Legacy of Wangari Maathai: Wangari Maathai was born on April 1, 1940, in Nyeri, Kenya. From her early years, she displayed an unwavering commitment to education and environmental stewardship. After earning her degree in biological sciences from Mount St. Scholastica College in the United States and a Ph.D. from the University of Nairobi, she embarked on a journey that would reshape the landscape of environmental activism in Kenya and beyond.

Founding the Green Belt Movement: In 1977, Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, a grassroots organization aimed at empowering women through tree planting, conservation, and sustainable development. Through this initiative, she not only revitalized Kenya’s degraded landscapes but also empowered countless women, providing them with economic opportunities and a voice in environmental decision-making.

Nobel Peace Prize and Global Recognition: In 2004, Wangari Maathai became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her pioneering work in environmental conservation and social justice. This prestigious accolade brought international attention to her efforts and solidified her position as a global icon of activism and sustainability.

Environmental Advocacy and Political Engagement: Beyond her work with the Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai was a tireless advocate for environmental protection and human rights. She served as an elected member of the Kenyan Parliament and held various governmental positions, leveraging her influence to champion causes related to conservation, democracy, and gender equality.

Wangari Maathai Day: A Celebration of Hope and Action: Wangari Maathai Day, observed annually on April 1st, serves as a reminder of her enduring legacy and the ongoing struggle for environmental sustainability and social justice. It is a day to honor her vision, courage, and determination in the face of adversity, and to recommit ourselves to the principles she held dear.

How to Celebrate Wangari Maathai Day:

1. Plant a Tree: Follow in Wangari Maathai’s footsteps by planting a tree in your community or participating in a tree-planting event.
2. Educate and Advocate: Spread awareness about environmental issues and the importance of grassroots activism in effecting meaningful change.
3. Support Women’s Empowerment: Recognize and support initiatives that empower women economically, socially, and politically, echoing Wangari Maathai’s commitment to gender equality.
4. Take Action: Whether it’s reducing your carbon footprint, supporting sustainable businesses, or advocating for policy changes, take concrete actions to protect our planet and promote a more just and sustainable world.

Conclusion: As we commemorate Wangari Maathai Day, let us draw inspiration from her remarkable life and legacy. Let us honor her memory not just in words, but in deeds, by continuing the fight for environmental conservation, social justice, and human dignity. Together, we can carry forward her vision of a greener, fairer, and more sustainable future for all.

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