Vanuatu’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and the Environment has a scathing assessment of COP29’s outcomes.
“The commitments made in Baku—the dollar amounts pledged and the emissions reductions promised—are not enough. They were never going to be enough. And even then, based on our experience with such pledges in the past, we know they will not be fulfilled,” said Ralph Regenvanu.
He noted that the past two climate COPS have been hosted by nations who depend on fossil fuel extraction and that Vanuatu’s focus is now on the International Court of Justice (ICJ). On December 2, the ICJ will begin hearing testimony from 110 nations and international non-governmental organisations. Their case seeks to clarify the legal obligations of States to combat climate change and protect vulnerable communities.
Regenvanu said: “The ICJ Advisory Opinion has the potential to strengthen the Paris Agreement framework by clarifying the legal obligations of States under international law to act on climate change-obligations which have been disregarded for too long. This includes obligations to finance adaptation and mitigation in vulnerable countries and to address loss and damage. It could help close the glaring gaps in climate finance that COP29 once again left unresolved.
“All of us on this planet are affected by climate change- regardless of your location, your belief in the science, or your motivation to reduce emissions. We need justice and we need it urgently.”
When COP29 closed in the early hours of November 24, parties had set a goal for at least US$300 billion annually by 2035 to help fight climate change in developing countries.
But this finance goal was harshly criticised, with developing nations who had sought over US$1 trillion in assistance calling the agreement “insulting” and arguing it did not give them the vital resources they required to truly address the complexities of the climate crisis.
Rufino Varea, Regional Director, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network said: “What was passed in Baku is not a deal; it’s a death sentence for millions. The Pacific Islands have been clear: climate finance must be grants-based and responsive to the needs of frontline communities. Instead, developed countries are handing us debt while dismantling the principles of equity and justice that the Paris Agreement was built on. This is a betrayal, plain and simple.”
“What is happening here is highlighting what a very different boat our vulnerable countries are in, compared to the developed countries, “said Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster, Samoa’s Minister for Natural Resources and Environment and Chairman of the AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) and LDCs (Least Developed Countries). “After this COP29 ends, we cannot just sail off into the sunset. We are literally sinking.”
Delegates from that group walked out of the negotiations at one point, saying their concerns were going unheard.
“We’ve said this before and we will say it again here, we have got to keep the 1.5-degree goal within reach,” said Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister, Biman Prasad, who expressed serious concern with the mitigation text and objected to backsliding on commitments.
He noted that, “We are not at the beginning of this process, we are at the twilight to deliver,” and “through the work we are doing, the special circumstances of SIDS and LDCs must be protected in line with the principles of the Convention and Paris Agreement.”
