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A Haitian child sits in a displacement camp in Léogâne. Credit: UNICEF/Maxime Le Lijour

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

Over the past week, the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti and extended efforts by the Haitian National Police has led to local gangs ramping up their offensives in order to hold onto their territories. Humanitarian organizations fear that displacement will skyrocket without more efficient security controls and relief responses.

According to a report from the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, gangs are predicted to control over 85 percent of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti’s capital and most populous city. This has led to the city being isolated from the rest of the nation, severely disrupting communications and critical supply chains.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that as of November 15, over 20,000 civilians had been displaced due to gang violence over the course of 4 days. They added that due to targeted attacks on airports and seaports, as well as unsafe roads due to gang occupancy, that Port-Au-Prince is in a state of “near-total paralysis”.

The most vulnerable populations in displaced communities are expected to be hit the hardest by the isolation of Port-Au-Prince. Humanitarian aid efforts have faced increasingly restrictive impediments, leading to a critical lack of resources.

IOM’s Chief in Haiti, Grégoire Goodstein, has confirmed that only one fifth of Port-Au-Prince is accessible at this time. Goodstein adds: “the isolation of Port-au-Prince is amplifying an already dire humanitarian situation. Our ability to deliver aid is stretched to its limits. Without immediate international support, the suffering will worsen exponentially”.

Nationwide hunger has reached a new peak in the past three months. The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that approximately 5.4 million people, or 50 percent of the population, face acute food insecurity. According to figures from the Global Hunger Index, approximately 22 percent of children face adverse health effects from malnutrition, with roughly 5.6 percent of children dying before the age of 5.

The UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) reports that 2024 marks the most violence observed in over two years, with over 2,500 people being killed as a result of gang violence. On November 14, armed groups attacked the Solino neighborhood in Port-Au-Prince, which is one of the few areas that has evaded gang control. Gunfire between the national police and the Viv Ansamn gang forced families in the area to flee.

Jean-Jean Pierre, a resident in the Solino neighborhood, recalled fleeing from the area with hordes of other civilians. “We barely made it out. I’ve lived here 40 years of my life and I’ve never seen it this bad. These gangs are more powerful than the police,” Pierre informed reporters.

Gender-based violence has also risen in the final quarter of the year. Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said sexual violence in Haiti “is pervasive and very likely to have reached levels not seen before”. According to IOM, sexual violence has been used as a weapon of terror by gangs, disproportionally targeting women and children. Additionally, 94 percent of women and girls faced heightened risks of sexual violence.

In a press release from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Michelle Strucke, the director of the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda, reports that there has been a 49 percent increase in sexual violence on girls and women recorded in 2024. Due to the scale of power that gangs possess in the Port-Au-Prince and Artibonite River regions, where sexual abuse cases are most concentrated, perpetrators receive widespread impunity, essentially preventing victims from acquiring any form of justice.

The MSS mission in Haiti has drawn considerable backlash from humanitarian organizations and Haitian citizens due to its inefficacy in dispensing of gang violence. Due to the mission being severely underfunded, response efforts have been greatly outmatched by gangs, which have increased their brutality since the deployment of this mission.

“It’s not back to where we started — it’s worse. More areas have been taken by gangs, more people had to leave and flee their homes and are homeless. It’s not any better,” said Sister Paésie Philippe, a French nun residing in Cité Soleil, Port-Au-Prince.

Although U.S. ambassador to Haiti Dennis B. Hankins confirmed that the U.S. Embassy has been in communications with the gangs in an effort to promote security, he remarked that they “certainly do not negotiate with gangs.” Experts have opined that the contingent mission’s failure to act effectively in this crisis has emboldened Haitian gangs to re-emerge and escalate the brutality of their attacks.

“I think they are essentially trying to get power or at least negotiate to get power. Ultimately, if the situation deteriorates further, they’ll be in a position to negotiate, whether you like it or not,” said Robert Fatton Jr., a professor of government and foreign affairs at the University of Virginia.

The United Nations has pledged that the MSS mission would continue to receive funding as it extends the MSS mission’s deployment in Haiti for another year and enlists a 2,500 officer-strong force. However, with only a small percentage of the 600 million dollars required to enlist such a force, along with uncertainty that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will voluntarily allocate U.S. funds to Haiti, it is difficult to predict if the mission will achieve any kind of progress in eradicating gang violence.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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An innovative microinsurance project in Kenya has protected 69,000 low-income households from property loss, offering affordable and essential safety nets. Credit: Habitat for Humanity

By Aishwarya Bajpai
BAKU, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

In the face of a growing climate crisis, the connection between housing and environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly urgent.

Habitat for Humanity International, a global nonprofit operating in over 70 countries since the 1970s, is at the forefront of this challenge.

By providing housing solutions for low-income families, the organization is tackling the twin imperatives of ensuring adequate shelter and addressing climate change.

Puja Sawhney, a Habitat for Humanity representative advocating for affordable and climate-resilient houses at COP29. Credit: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS

Housing as a Climate Priority

The housing sector contributes to 21 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a significant factor in climate change discussions.

Habitat for Humanity recognizes the dual need for mitigation—reducing emissions—and adaptation—building resilience to climate impacts.

“We want to build houses that are resilient to climate change,” said Puja Sawhney, a Habitat representative. “We don’t want houses that get washed away the next year.”

To achieve this, the organization focuses on sustainable construction practices and innovative designs.

A noteworthy example is their successful use of 3D-printed housing technology in India, which demonstrates the potential for scalable, climate-smart solutions.

Empowering Communities

Central to Habitat for Humanity’s mission is community empowerment.

Through its Global Village volunteer program, the organization invites individuals from across the globe to help physically build homes.

This hands-on initiative provides volunteers with firsthand insight into the housing challenges faced by low-income families, fostering a deeper understanding of local communities and their unique vulnerabilities.

In addition to physical construction, the organization works to build the climate resilience of the communities it serves. ‘We raise awareness about the importance of tackling climate change,’ the representative explained.

This involves educating families on sustainable practices and advocating for housing policies that prioritize climate adaptation.

Finance as a Catalyst For Change

At COP29, Habitat for Humanity emphasized the critical role of finance in advancing its work.

Climate finance is essential for greening the housing sector’s supply chain, building capacity and awareness, and ensuring that homes are both adequate and affordable. However, the challenge lies in balancing sustainability with affordability.

“For low- and middle-income households and developing countries overall, the technologies needed for sustainable housing are often prohibitively expensive,” Sawhney noted.

While the organization has piloted net-zero homes in the U.S., such advancements remain out of reach for many of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

To bridge this gap, Habitat for Humanity is advocating for the inclusion of housing as a priority sector in climate negotiations. “There’s not much conversation around the housing sector.’

Sawhney pointed out. “It’s very important to have housing included as a major contributor to the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions).”

By securing financing mechanisms and policy attention, the organization hopes to drive innovation and accessibility in sustainable housing solutions.

A Path Forward

With the right financing and global collaboration, Habitat for Humanity is proving that housing can be both a fundamental right and a key pillar in the fight against climate change.

In their words, “It’s not just about providing a roof over someone’s head—it’s about building a future where communities can thrive in the face of a changing climate.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Marking the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Credit: UN Photo/Violaine Martin
 
“We mourn the more than one million children, women, and men who perished in one hundred days of horror 29 years ago,” António Guterres said in his annual commemorative message, April 2023, on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

By Alice Wairimu Nderitu and Romeo Dallaire
NEW YORK, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

Last April, we commemorated the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. At the Rwandan capital, Kigali, at United Nations Headquarters, in New York, and across the world, we remembered the immense suffering this genocide caused on so many innocent civilians, who were targeted because of their identity, because of who they were.

In honoring them, we also renewed our commitment for the prevention of genocide, the gravest of crimes, the crime of crimes. We did so by reiterating that genocide does not happen overnight and that this crime is the result of a process which unfolds well before the actual killing starts. In Rwanda, the murder of thousands of innocent civilians took place in a very short period of time.

The alarm was raised, yet genocide happened. This shocked the world and raised the unavoidable question of what we could have collectively done to prevent this horror from happening in the first place.

At the same time, the conditions which facilitated this terrible tragedy were a long time in the making. Dehumanization of a specific group had been taking place well before the genocide took place.

Hate speech and incitement to violence found fertile ground in those terrible days of April 1994. The prevalence of genocide ideology preceded, and fueled, the commission of the acts of genocide. Commemorating this genocide and honoring the victims also meant remembering that genocide is a process, that there are risk factors and indicators for this crime, and that it is essential to act when they are present in order to prevent the worst possible outcome.

Accountability for past violations constitutes an important mitigating measure. Justice is essential not only for the cause of justice itself, to bring solace to the friends and relatives of those who perished, but also for reconciliation, for moving forward in peace, for building a future in which such crimes cannot be committed again. For the prevention of future crimes.

Yet, today, more than 1,000 fugitive génocidaires from Rwanda are still at large, despite existing indictments and international arrest warrants in place. This is according to the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, the IRMCT, which has carried forward the work of bringing international accountability to the horrible crimes committed in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda after the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) concluded its work in 2015

Let us underline this in no unequivocal way: More than thirty years after those tragic events, which were caused by specific individuals, with specific and vicious aims, and with strong allegations of an intent to destroy an entire group from the face of the Earth, more than 1,000 of those individuals, indicted by an impartial and independent court of justice for allegations of commission of the crime of genocide, are not finding their day in court.

Many are enjoying spaces of immunity that allow them to remain at large. Spaces where past acts of genocide may be denied. Spaces such denial is being promoted. Today, there are States that are hosting alleged génocidaires. This is unacceptable.

States must ensure that there is no space for such impunity. In a world community where the global commitment to prevent genocide is reiterated each 9 December, when we mark the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide, there cannot be space for impunity being facilitated by States unwilling to take the necessary action for justice to prevail.

The space for impunity must shrink and the space for accountability must widen. States in which alleged perpetrators are found must prosecute or extradite them without delay. States in which individuals indicted by the ICTR are present must take active and immediate steps to ensure that those individuals can be brought to justice without further delay.

For this, the ball is in the court of national jurisdictions. Many are leading by example and are taking the right steps and playing a leading role, not only in bringing perpetrators to justice, but also in actively seeking the assistance they need to ensure that all evidence is taken into account. To this day, the IRMCT has been providing assistance to national jurisdictions in response to specific requests for assistance in no small amount.

In the last two years alone, in relation to Rwanda, the residual mechanism has assisted 10 different Member States, handing over 5,000 documents and facilitating the participation of 69 witnesses in national proceedings and providing investigative plans. In June, just two months after the official commemorations of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the United Nations Security Council heard from the President and the Prosecutor of the IRMCT, Judge Santana and Prosecutor Brammertz, on the important progress made by the IRMCT over its almost 15 years of existence in continuation of the justice work not only by the ICTR but also by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Thanks to this, it has been possible to complete the work initiated by the ICTR and the ICTY and account for all 253 persons indicted by these Tribunals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. These are the gravest international violations. These are crimes that target civilian populations explicitly. In the case of genocide, for targeting a specific, protected group with the intention to destroy the group in whole or in part. We reiterate: for wanting to erase a national, ethnical, racial or religious group from the face of the Earth.

But more action is needed. Justice has not been fully met. Full accountability has not been achieved. In Rwanda, the country itself walked the talk of healing and reconciliation with efforts at the community level to bring people together. This includes through the gacaca courts, which became an example of effective transitional justice mechanism and a model for the world.

But as long as fugitives remain at large, the scar of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi will continue bleeding. The entirety of the international community has a responsibility to ensure that all perpetrators are brought to account.

Of course, nothing can return those who were killed to their families, their friends and relatives. But justice and accountability can help bring closure to survivors and can reassure them that their suffering is and will be recognized, and their sacrifice is and will be honored.

Only when all perpetrators have been held into account, we will we be able to uphold the expectations that all victims rightly possess: that their voices are heard, that their suffering is acknowledged, and that there is justice for the crimes committed against their loved ones.

Because too many victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda are yet to find this solace, it is imperative that the wheels of justice continue turning and that all alleged perpetrators are brought to justice without delay. No effort must be spared to achieve this end.

United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu and Lieutenant-General (ret’d) The Honourable Romeo Dallaire.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Action: Just Transition Credit: UN Climate Change/Kamran Guliye

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

The industrial revolution set the ball rolling towards global warming. Today, developing nations are on the frontlines of a climatic carnage and its snowballing effects. Developed nations bear a financial responsibility to provide climate finance to developing nations, as financing the transition to a low-carbon economy is an urgent, critical matter.

This year, 2024, is already on track to become the hottest in recorded human history. Decarbonization will help meet the Paris Agreement goals, avoid climate catastrophe and safeguard the planet for generations. It is for this reason that COP29 prioritised negotiations towards a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance.

NCGQ is a key element of the 2015 Paris Agreement. It seeks to set a new financial target to support climate action in developing nations post-2025. In 2009, during the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, a climate finance goal was set at USD 100 billion per year. For many years, the goal remained elusive and was only fully achieved in 2022.

The current goal to finance climate action in developing countries for the period 2020-2025 is USD 100 billion. In the post-2025 period, a new global goal to finance climate action is needed. This is the genesis and basis for COP29 Baku NCQG on climate finance.

Research shows that the “concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from approximately 278 parts per million in 1750, the beginning of the industrial era, to 420 parts per million in 2023. The rise in heat-trapping carbon dioxide—and other greenhouse gases—is the primary reason for the planet’s soaring temperatures.”

With soaring temperatures, climate-driven disasters and the infinite cost of climate change are edging closer to reaching irreversible highs. For this reason, climate finance needed to reverse and halt the pace of climate change is no longer in the billions but trillions. Meanwhile, the signatories of the Paris Agreement are currently working on the third generation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

New NDCs will be submitted by February 10, 2025 and will incorporate the Global Stocktake agreed at COP28. The Global Stocktake evaluated progress on climate action at the global level against the goals of the Paris Agreement. NDCs are efforts each country commits to take to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.

Within this context, the new collective quantified goal on climate finance is critical, as amounts of funds set aside for the NCQG will determine whether developing countries can, and to what extent finance their respective climate action in line with their national commitments or the NDCs.

UNFCCC’s Standing Committee on Finance estimates that the cost of implementing the third-generation NDCs will be USD 5.8-USD 5.9 trillion cumulatively by 2030. Developing countries are asking for at least USD 1 trillion in annual public support for the world’s most vulnerable nations to finance climate action once the current financial commitment of USD 100 billion lapses in 2025.

Delegates from developing nations say the current financing landscape is untenable as nearly 69 percent of all climate finance is provided in loans, entrenching and deepening existing inequalities and exacerbating debt crises in climate-vulnerable poor countries.

The global South is overwhelmingly asking for not less than USD 1 trillion per year in public granting support to replace the current USD 100 billion and they say that this is a drop in the ocean against the global GDP. The world generates nearly USD 100 trillion in GDP every year.

A fraction of that—just USD 1 trillion invested into climate action in developing nations—could drive a much-needed energy transition. A green revolution would decarbonise the economy and environment and rescue the world’s vulnerable, poor and underdeveloped nations from the jaws of a climate catastrophe before it is too late.

Back in 2009, acknowledging and taking responsibility for their substantial contribution to the climate crisis, developed countries agreed to mobilise USD 100 billion of climate finance a year by 2020 to run through 2025. Today, in Baku, developed countries are being asked to lift the billions into the trillion bracket. With only days to go until the end of the COP29 summit, it remains to be seen whether, at last, rich countries will agree to replace billions with trillions.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley speaks up for augmenting the resources of climate finance. Credit: Isaac Atkin-Mayne|UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

By Margaret López
BAKU, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

The global climate aid fund is not the only option discussed at the World Climate Change Conference (COP29). Imposing a new tax on cryptocurrencies and the plastics industry could help close the money gap needed to address the impacts of climate change, especially in the countries of the Global South.

The pool of proposals presented by the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force at COP29 speaks of a potential combined collection of USD 41 billion per year between these two sectors, which are high-polluting industries in the release of greenhouse gases.

This organization, led by France, Kenya and Barbados, promotes the idea that these new “solidarity levies” are fundamental to making the international arena “more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of countries most affected by the climate crisis.”

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley noted that these solidarity levies could help raise up to USD 690 billion per year if new taxes on fossil fuel extraction, maritime shipping, and global financial operations are also considered.

“We must change the rules of the game, shock-proof vulnerable economies, and indeed, review debt sustainability while at the same time augmenting resources,” said Mottley at the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Crypto Pays

These proposals to increase climate resources include a cryptocurrency tax that can be set between 0.1 percent and 20 percent of financial transactions made with Bitcoin, which is the cryptocurrency that just broke a price record by reaching USD 80,000 per unit, or Tether (USDT), which is the cryptocurrency used for financial hedging in Latin American countries with high inflation such as Venezuela or Argentina.

The collection potential is between 15.8 and 323 billion dollars per year only when considering transactions with cryptocurrencies, according to a report prepared by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Another option is to impose a tax on Bitcoin cryptocurrency mining activities, which is an electricity-intensive activity. The proposal is to create a tax of USD 0.045 per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity consumption that could raise USD 5.2 billion per year, as reported in the same IMF report.

Although the Global Solidarity Levies Task Forces recognise that the nature of anonymity inherent in the world of cryptocurrencies works against the effective collection of this tax, especially in countries with less monitoring of these operations.

Focus on Plastics

Another of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force’s innovative proposals speaks about a new tax of between 5 percent and 7 percent of the final price of plastics, which it estimates could help raise between 25 and 35 billion dollars per year.

“Implementing a levy on polymer production has several strategic advantages, particularly when applied upstream in the production chain where the product is homogenous and involves fewer companies. If designed accordingly, the levy could also narrow the price difference between virgin plastics and the currently more expensive recycled or biobased plastics, encouraging a shift toward more sustainable options,” explained the report.

The group’s goal is that the discussion of the Global Plastics Treaty (INC5) at the end of November and December 2024 will also include some mention of taxation for the sector and its interconnection with climate change impacts.

The document presented at COP29 also addresses one new 2 percent tax on the wealth of billionaires. The proposal is that it should be set as a global minimum standard and that a percentage of its collection should be earmarked for climate finance. In the end, Global Solidarity Levies Task Forces propose to shift the debate on climate finance from “voluntary contributions” to “systematic, fair, and impactful funding” mechanisms.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Anand Ethirajalu while interacting with farmers of his community during one of the training sessions.

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

In the heart of southern India lies an inspiring tale of determination, resilience, and an unyielding commitment to sustainable farming. This is the story of Anand Ethirajalu, who turned his childhood curiosity about food adulteration into a life mission to transform agriculture and protect human lives.

As a schoolboy, Anand stumbled upon articles detailing the devastating health impacts of food adulteration. This very early exposure ignited a spark in him. By the time he graduated in 2004 with a degree in Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, Anand had a clear vision: to create a system where food production was safe, sustainable, and devoid of harmful chemicals.

Instead of pursuing a high-paying corporate job, Anand took a path less traveled. He convinced his father, an engineer, to invest savings in buying a 5-acre piece of land. This marked the beginning of Anand’s journey as a full-time farmer.

“I didn’t want to become a doctor, engineer, or anything else. I wanted to grow clean, unadulterated food,” Anand told IPS at the COP29 venue. His father, grappling with guilt over contributing to industrial pollution as a thermal plant designer, supported the venture wholeheartedly.

Anand Ethirajalu at COP29. Credit: Umar Manzoor Shah/IPS

Cultivating Change

The early years were marked by trial and error. Without formal training, Anand relied on indigenous cultivation techniques and interactions with local farmers. Within three years, he achieved self-sufficiency, producing everything from rice and vegetables to oils and spices on his modest farm.

“I was completely off the grid,” Anand recalls. His produce wasn’t just for his family. He placed it in baskets outside his home with a simple jar for payments, allowing neighbors to take what they needed and pay what they could. Surprisingly, the community responded with generosity, often paying more than expected.

This grassroots approach not only validated his efforts but also sowed the seeds of a larger vision. “I realized that farmers can live like kings if they understand sustainable farming and basic marketing,” Anand says.

Resilience in the Face of Climate Change

One of Anand’s most significant contributions has been promoting climate-resilient farming. By integrating trees and crops in multi-tier systems, farmers can grow diverse produce while mitigating risks from climate and market fluctuations. “If one crop fails, the others ensure income stability,” Anand says.

He also advocates for long-term financial security through timber farming. By planting high-value trees like teak and sandalwood, farmers can create a savings mechanism for emergencies like medical expenses or weddings.

At COP29

At COP29 in Baku, he passionately argues for greater investment in nature-based solutions. “Without soil, nothing will happen,” he says.

Despite challenges, Anand remains hopeful. His initiatives have not only revived degraded lands but also uplifted farming communities.

“Farmers don’t need handouts. They need knowledge, tools, and a platform to succeed,” Anand says.

We’re not just growing crops. We’re nurturing a future where farming is sustainable, soil is healthy, and people live with dignity.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Dr. Colin A. Young, Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center says the developed world should be reminded of catastrophic outcomes of failing to meet emissions targets. Credit: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS

By Aishwarya Bajpai
BAKU, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

Communities living in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) pay the price of climate change in lives, livelihoods, and stunted sustainable development. 

Representatives from Caribbean islands have repeatedly expressed this ongoing concern at COP29.

Dr. Colin A. Young, Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC), reemphasized the catastrophic outcomes of the failure to meet emissions targets.

“What Hurricane Beryl demonstrated to the world is what happens when there is failure to meet the emission reduction target. To meet the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement requires a 43 percent reduction of greenhouse gases by 2030, a peak of fossil fuel production by 2025 and net zero commitments by 2050—without achieving these targets, we continue to face increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes and other climate-related disasters. Large countries often fail to grasp how such events devastate small economies, wiping out critical infrastructure—schools, healthcare, telecommunications, roads, and farms—paralyzing entire communities.”

Instead of a rich future, the futures of the youth are in jeopardy.

“Our young people are inheriting a future where they cannot reach their full potential because of climate-related impacts. In some cases, it sets progress back by years, and in others, by decades.”

Young reflected on the devastating economic toll of the climate disasters—effectively bankrupting small economies, leaving them significantly more vulnerable.

“We have witnessed the scale of destruction hurricanes can inflict. Hurricane Maria wiped out 226 percent of Dominica’s GDP and two years earlier, Tropical Storm Erika had already devastated 90 percent of its GDP,” he said. “This is a matter of survival for our countries and the failure of the developed countries to do more faster to curb emissions in line with the science.”

 Morally Unjust, Bureaucratically Complex

Developed nations need to come to the party.

“G7 and G20 countries are responsible for 80 percent of all emissions. Yet, the burden of providing resources, technology transfers, and capacity building falls disproportionately on others—a morally unjust reality we are confronting.”

Talking about finance and the New Collective Qualified Goal (NCGQ), a major outcome SIDS expects to come out of COP29, Young said he is concerned whether or not the NCQG will meet the needs of SIDS.

Young criticized the inefficiency of the current international climate finance system.

“The current international climate finance architecture is not serving the needs of small island developing states. It is too bureaucratic, complex and difficult to access.”

He highlighted the disparity in funding distribution.

“Take the Green Climate Fund as an example. Out of the USD 12 billion approved, only 10 percent has gone to Small Island Developing States, and within that, the Caribbean has received less than USD 600 million. If resources from the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) follow the same disbursement patterns, it’s clear it won’t serve our interests to meet the scale and speed of the urgent adaptation needs of our countries.”

Radical Change Needed For Climate Financing

Piecemeal change will not work for SIDS, he told IPS.

“For Small Island Developing States, the system of accessing climate under the NCQG and Loss and Damage Fund cannot resemble the existing financial architecture. We need a finance mechanism that is streamlined, equitable, fit-for-purpose and truly responsive to our unique challenges.”

“There is a significant lack of transparency in the climate finance space because developed countries continue to stymie efforts to clearly define what constitutes climate finance under the Paris Agreement.”

Financing often comes as loans, and this has implications for SIDS. Recently, for example, the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a Euro 100 million (USD 109.4 million) loan agreement with the Caribbean Islands.

Young highlighted the ongoing issues with climate finance transparency and the clarity on financing terms

“Certain types of investments, especially non-concessional loans, should not be counted as climate finance under the Convention. When we talk about the USD 100 billion annual target that developed countries have committed to since 2009, there is widespread disagreement among developing country parties on whether it has been met. The OECD claims it has, but developing countries argue that the funds are not visible or are difficult to track because of lack of transparency.”

Young expressed concern over the mounting debt burden placed on SIDS because of climate change.

“What we’re increasingly seeing is that we are being asked to shoulder a debt burden that is already alarmingly high—well above World Bank and IMF benchmarks.”

He highlighted the cyclical nature of the crisis.

“We’re forced to borrow to build resilience, but even within the loan repayment period, we’re hit by multiple disasters again. It’s a vicious cycle that leaves us unable to recover, exacerbating our debt level.”

When asked about a single key negotiation or message to take forward from COP 29, his response was clear:

“The message is that we need greater ambition from developed countries to cut emissions in line with the science. And beyond that, they must deliver on the promises they’ve made to deliver finance at scale, adaptation finance, technology and capacity building to developing countries, particularly to SIDs and LDCs.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Content warning: this interview contains details some readers may find distressing.

By CIVICUS
Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

 
CIVICUS discusses Sudan’s civil war and its impact on women with Sulaima Elkhalifa, a Sudanese human rights defender and expert on gender-based violence.

In October, fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group fighting the Sudanese army, killed over 120 people in a brutal, multi-day attack on a town in Gezira State. The rampage, which involved arson, indiscriminate shooting, looting and sexual violence, forced thousands to flee their homes. The attacks took place in the context of a conflict that erupted in April 2023 and has now killed over 24,800 people and displaced more than 11 million. There have been recent reports of dozens of women committing mass suicide to avoid being raped by the approaching RSF.

Sulaima Elkhalifa

How is the conflict affecting women?

Like the male population, women and girls are trying to escape bombings and avoid being caught in the crossfire. But women and girls are also being targeted as sexual violence has become a weapon of war that is being used systematically.

Attackers often target women who belong to particular tribes or accuse them of supporting the former government as an excuse for sexually assaulting them. The truth is no woman is exempt. Recently, 27 women from military families were abducted and repeatedly raped. Even those who stay at home to try to stay safe can be targeted by RSF soldiers who break in, threaten them with guns and steal their money and phones.

In an attempt to protect their daughters, some families marry them off at a young age or subject them to harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, which only cause more pain and deprive women of their freedoms and rights.

This violence is widespread and affects areas far beyond the capital, Khartoum, where the conflict began. It reaches regions such as Al Jazira, Darfur and Kordofan. This suggests the violence is part of a plan to change the demographics of the population.

Many women have lost their homes and their jobs. With hospitals destroyed, they have also lost access to basic health services, including maternal and mental healthcare. Basic needs are often unmet, exacerbating the trauma many have endured.

While there is some support for survivors, it’s difficult to access due to a lack of information, the absence of a proper referral system and the disruption of communication systems. The stigma surrounding sexual violence also prevents many women from seeking help and isolates them.

Even when they do seek and find support, it’s often for the physical health problems caused by the sexual violence they’ve endured rather than for the trauma itself. The violence they have experienced has long-term effects that require long-term intervention.

Sadly, many people deny or trivialise these crimes, adding to the pain of survivors. Soldiers have even shared videos of their crimes, saying they are proud to rape and impregnate women, further robbing survivors of their dignity and privacy.

What are advocacy groups doing to try to stop the violence and hold RSF accountable?

Advocacy groups, particularly women’s and feminist organisations, are working tirelessly to raise awareness and draw attention to the atrocities committed by the RSF. They document violations, push for international recognition of crimes and demand accountability.

But holding the RSF to account is no easy task. When sexual violence becomes a weapon of war, it becomes institutionalised. And the RSF have immense power, resources and political influence. The propaganda and media campaigns that downplay the violence and support the RSF are much stronger than civil society’s efforts. Feminist organisations need stronger advocacy and messaging to break through the media manipulation and push national and international forces to pay attention and act accordingly.

How has the international community responded to the crisis?

The international community’s response has been disappointing. Despite the devastating human rights violations taking place on the ground, the international community has not been vocal enough in condemning these acts or demanding real accountability. Reports coming from international bodies often fail to capture the true extent of the violence and seem to downplay the severity of the situation. The language used tends to lack the urgency or force necessary to convey the horror of the violations, particularly in the case of sexual violence.

Historically, Sudanese women have been seen as resilient, having played a key role in the 2019 revolution that overthrew one of the region’s most brutal dictators, Omar al-Bashir. But these women are now suffering in silence and isolation, feeling forgotten and hopeless.

Our message to the international community is clear: stop talking about Sudanese women as symbols of inspiration and understand they now need support and protection. Those who’ve experienced sexual violence need immediate care, support and a sense of safety. They need accountability for the crimes committed against them, not political rhetoric and blame games. The international community must stop turning a blind eye to the suffering of Sudanese women and start treating this issue with the urgency it deserves.

 

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Excerpt:

Content warning: this interview contains details some readers may find distressing.

By Dereje Wordofa
INNSBRUCK, Austria, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

From the cost-of-living crisis to the impacts of war, cuts to social protection and even climate change, families worldwide are facing a combination of pressures that test their capacity to cope and care for children.

Dereje Wordofa

As a result, millions of children and young adults are at risk of losing vital and formative family bonds, care and protection, which can cause lasting and even intergenerational harm.

Globally, an estimated 220 million children – one in 10 – already live without parental care or are at risk of losing it. In Africa alone, 35 million children were believed to be living without parental care in 2020. These grim realities show widespread and large-scale child suffering despite the 2030 global promise to end poverty, leaving no one behind.

To protect the welfare and rights of children and their futures, governments must urgently ease pressures on families by addressing the root causes of family breakdowns.

While there is no single cause of family separation, new research shows that a combination of risk factors such as intergenerational violence, social exclusion, poverty and inadequate social protection services can contribute to family breakdowns.

Many of these drivers can be better managed and minimised with the right support services in place, allowing families to cope with challenging circumstances and minimising the risk of child-family separation.

Enhancing preventative child protection, expanding access to inclusive family support and adopting a people-centred approach to care can help governments and international agencies to achieve this.

Firstly, it is vital to enhance preventative child protection measures to ensure the wellbeing of all children, especially those already vulnerable to violence and neglect.

Children can face risks of exposure to violence such as gender-based and domestic violence within their family structures. Taking preventative measures, such as investing in parenting and anti-violence programmes, can enhance safety in homes and communities for children and families.

These initiatives must focus on strengthening rights-based child protection systems to recognize and prevent violence which often results in child-family separation. For example, implementing public awareness initiatives on conflict management and child safety would help empower caregivers to protect children in the home and beyond.

Outside of their homes, children can also face violence in conflicts such as wars, which also significantly threaten safety and leave children at risk of separation from their families.

Between 2005 and 2022, more than 300,000 violations against children living in conflict were verified by the United Nations, with documented reports of children facing atrocious acts of violence such as abduction, recruitment by armed groups, sexual assault and even death.

In such cases where children have fallen victim to violence, governments must go a step further to ensure access to services such as shelter, legal, medical and financial assistance for children and families affected.

Secondly, to reduce family separation, it is important to expand access to inclusive social protection programs, especially for economically disadvantaged families.

Poverty significantly increases the chances of children being placed in alternative care. Related factors such as unemployment, lack of access to inclusive healthcare and education, housing insecurities and much more, are disruptive to family life.

In such situations, attempts to access basic services, labour migration or even incarceration due to crime as a resort for survival often lead to the splitting of children from their core families.

To avoid this, public policy, national budgets and political commitment are essential to deliver universal access to adequate social protection services. These include education, health and income safety nets, and also better inclusion, particularly through addressing gender, disability, and age-related inequalities.

Lastly, it is important to adopt a people-centred approach to care and protection. Improving evidence-driven care system design and delivery while prioritising safe and meaningful participation of children and families in these systems can make a difference.

For example, equipping care professionals and practitioners with the skills, knowledge and resources that they need in order to understand children and families facing challenges in different contexts can effectively deliver better results in keeping families together.

This can be done by ensuring that frontline workers are up to date with policies relating to issues that affect families and that they are able to deliver care and protection in a way that is accessible and meaningful to those targeted.

For example, delivering care to families that are in remote areas may look completely different to those in urban areas, these diverse contexts should be considered and accounted for.

Growing up without family bonds and care can put children at risk of physical, mental and social harm, reinforcing vulnerabilities that in turn perpetuate family breakdowns.

Scaling up investments in programmes that address the root causes of family separation is vital and great value for money to tackle the number of children separated from their families unnecessarily and ensure a safe, secure future for every one of them.

Dr. Dereje Wordofa, President, SOS Children’s Villages International

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Barbados Minister Shantal Munro-Knight talks about driving climate finance and resilience at COP29. Credit: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS

By Aishwarya Bajpai
BAKU, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

“This Finance COP has to deliver. I think this is a crucial moment for the COP process,” said Shantal Munro-Knight, Barbados Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Barbados, a nation at the forefront of climate advocacy, continues to push boundaries at COP29, the so-called Finance COP. Knight shared her views on the state of negotiations, the urgency of climate finance, and the innovative solutions her country is championing.

She expressed cautious optimism but acknowledged the slow pace of progress.

“We have some delegations already engaged, but at the same time, we haven’t moved fast enough. There’s still so much to work out—whether on quantum, structure, or trust deficits. Without clear and actionable commitments, we risk falling short of what’s truly needed.”

Barbados has been a key player in securing the Loss and Damage Fund, a significant achievement in global climate diplomacy. Yet Knight’s reflections on its progress reveal a mix of frustration and concern.

“A year later, I’m a little bit disappointed and frustrated, to be honest. We need USD 700 billion, and we’re not anywhere near that amount for the Loss and Damage Fund. There hasn’t been the level of commitment required to capitalize and operationalize it.”

The minister also highlighted how slow mitigation efforts exacerbate the need for adaptation, which, in turn, inflates costs for vulnerable nations like Barbados.

“Things are not moving as quickly as we need on the mitigation front. That means adaptation becomes more expensive for us. And because we’re not getting the scale of finance for adaptation, more of it ends up being pushed into loss and damage.”

Despite global inertia, Barbados has been proactive, innovating to address climate challenges head-on. Knight detailed some of these groundbreaking efforts.

“We’ve introduced initiatives like debt-for-climate swaps, our Blue-Green Bank, and natural disaster clauses in agreements. We’re trying to innovate on our own and call attention to what is needed. However, we still face challenges. We need both private and public capital to scale these solutions effectively.”

Barbados was also the first country to access the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust in 2022. “The IMF lowered interest rates on loans by 37 percent for us. That has allowed us to reinvest in climate finance and resilience building. But again, the pace of reform isn’t keeping up with the scale of the crisis.”

Barbados’ Bridgetown Initiative, which serves as a model for financial reform, has attracted attention from all over the world. Knight sees it as a pathway for mobilizing resources and challenging developed countries to take greater responsibility.

“We’re exploring new financing mechanisms like levies on the shipping and aviation industries—sectors that are significant contributors to emissions. If we’re serious about mitigation, we need to start taxing these large sectors and challenging them to do more.”

When asked whether Small Island Developing States (SIDS) should forge their own path given the sluggish response from developed countries, Knight emphasized dialogue and collaboration.

“We need more dialogue. A lot of developed countries are now facing domestic pressures for accountability on resource use, and some aren’t pledging at all. It’s about balancing those realities with the need for real investment that delivers results. Partners are essential for fostering dialogue that drives meaningful impact. As the Prime Minister puts it, the world needs more love—a sentiment often lost in formalities.”

Barbados has also adopted a holistic approach to climate resilience, combining policy, infrastructure, and legislative reforms. Knight outlined this strategy.

“We’ve launched the Barbados Prosperity Resilience Investment Plan and the Roof-to-Reef Investment Initiative. It’s a whole-of-government approach focused on five pillars of resilience building. This framework not only identifies priority areas for donor engagement but also ensures we have a coherent response to climate shocks.”

The minister added, “Our strategy spans all levels, from large-scale coastal projects to household-level initiatives like strengthening roofs. It ensures collaboration across sectors such as housing, transport, and tourism. This approach has helped us allocate resources to the areas that need them most.”

Ending on a powerful note, Knight reflected on the broader significance of COP29.

“This COP must deliver on rebuilding trust among national delegations and with communities. It’s about showing commitment to help people not just survive but thrive. Governments and the UN system must fulfill their responsibility to create a world where thriving is a right, not just a hope.”

As the world watches COP29, Barbados continues to exemplify resilience, innovation, and determination. Knight’s vision is clear: bold action, meaningful partnerships, and tangible results are the only way forward.
IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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The United Nations delivers critical power generators to southern Gaza in an attempt to recalibrate water sanitation systems following damage from extensive Israeli bombardment. Credit: UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

A new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) postulates that Israeli military practices in the Gaza Strip constitutes as war crimes. Released on November 14, the new report details the scale of destruction in the Gaza Strip over a 13-month period, during which time the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) undertook a campaign to enact “deliberate, controlled demolitions of homes and civilian infrastructure” that were conducted to drive millions of Gazans out of their homes and inflict as much damage as possible.

The United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories has said that “The Israeli military’s use of AI-assisted targeting, with minimal human oversight, combined with heavy bombs, underscores Israel’s disregard of its obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants and take adequate safeguards to prevent civilian deaths.”

HRW also urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct an investigation. To properly abide by international humanitarian law, it is imperative for Israeli authorities to announce evacuation orders ahead of bombardments to minimize civilian harm. According to the report, the orders were “inconsistent, inaccurate, and frequently not communicated to civilians with enough time to allow evacuations or at all”.

Additionally, designated escape routes were regularly subjected to bombardment from the IDF. The widening of “buffer zones”, which are the areas between the Israeli-Palestinian border that are blocked off from Gazans, has been predicted to permanently displace thousands.

“The Israeli government cannot claim to be keeping Palestinians safe when it kills them along escape routes, bombs so-called safe zones, and cuts off food, water, and sanitation. Israel has blatantly violated its obligation to ensure Palestinians can return home, razing virtually everything in large areas,” says Nadia Harman, a migrant rights researcher at HRW.

On November 17, the IDF conducted an airstrike on a residential building housing six refugee families in Beit Lahiya. Gaza’s Ministry of Health confirmed that there were at least 72 civilian casualties from this attack, 30 percent of which were children. It is believed that many more civilians are still trapped underneath the rubble. This attack came only a few hours after two separate airstrikes killed 14 people in the nearby Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps.

The IDF’s continued blockage of humanitarian aid has drawn immense criticism from humanitarian organizations and world representatives alike. According to the UN Special Committee, sustained military impediment of humanitarian aid, as well as targeted attacks on aid personnel indicates that Israel is “intentionally causing death, starvation and serious injury, using starvation as a method of war and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population.”

Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and International Development Minister Ahmend Hussen expressed their concerns for the millions of displaced Gazans, especially as the harsh winter months approach, which are expected to exacerbate living conditions. “This means that civilians – men, women and children – are dying because of the lack of humanitarian assistance allowed into Gaza,” they added.

According to a report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire and rapidly accelerating. It is predicted that famine is highly concentrated among populations residing in the northern sections of Gaza, which has been the most militaristically restricted. IPC describes Gaza’s current state as the “worst-case scenario”, adding that malnutrition, starvation, and disease are growing rampant in displacement shelters.

The Famine Review Committee (FRC) has warned that without effective action or intervention from those with influence, the scale of this “looming catastrophe” would likely “dwarf anything […] seen so far in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023”.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Credit: Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC)

By Holly Curry
WASHINGTON, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

It is a hectic week for UN environmental conservation talks with simultaneous meetings occurring around the world: Climate change negotiations are entering their second week in Baku, Azerbaijan and the G20 takes place in Rio de Janeiro November 18-19—so, it’s understandable other important issues could get lost in the mix.

But that doesn’t mean they are any less deserving of attention. Consider the effort to protect the Southern Ocean, the vast and icy body of water encircling Antarctica and home to the world’s largest populations of krill, a shrimp-like crustacean that penguins, seals, whales, and seabirds depend on for food.

Last month, while delegates to the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Biological Framework met for the first time to take stock of their goal to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030, talks at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, Tasmania collapsed over a dispute about krill fishing limits, casting uncertainty over the group’s commitment to establish a representative network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean.

While the outcome barely made headlines, which is typically the case for CCAMLR meetings, scientists are now bracing for summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Last July, at the peak of the antipodean winter, a heat wave swept Antarctica with temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius above the winter average.

The anomaly follows nearly a decade of decreases in the average maximum extent of sea ice with potentially catastrophic implications for global sea level rise and the region’s fragile ecosystems.

For example, iconic emperor penguin populations have been exhibiting a disconcerting response to the unprecedented changes. The species relies almost exclusively on sea ice as a breeding habitat and forages on krill. If the current warming trend continues unabated, the penguins face a decline of over 90 percent this century.

A 2023 study found that ocean warming and acidification are impacting krill behavior and population dynamics in the Southern Ocean, including a southward migration toward colder waters. A drop in krill numbers not only threatens the region’s megafauna that depend on it, but also the global carbon cycle.

It is estimated that the region’s krill sequester around 23 million tonnes of the heat-trapping gas, equivalent to carbon services provided by the planet’s blue carbon habitats, marshes, mangroves, and seagrass.

Moreover, a CCAMLR report published earlier this year documented a steady increase in the amount of krill harvested over the past decade.

The annual average landings of krill from 2019 to 2023 were 415,800 tonnes, compared to 266,000 tonnes for the previous five years. This season, 14 vessels, including four ships each from China and Norway, three from South Korea and one each from Chile, Russia and Ukraine, registered for the fishery compared to nine in 2023.

Time and again, research has shown that fully protected MPAs, where fishing and other commercial activities are prohibited, are one of the best steps governments can take to help marine life build genetic diversity and biomass, making them more resilient to fishing and climate change. There is also a spillover effect that benefits adjacent ecosystems as well as commercial fishing.

That is not to say that a host of issues confronting the Kunming-Montreal framework, COP29, and the G20 are less important, but those agreements are on track for medium-to-long term action, while final approval for Antarctica’s MPA network is tantalizingly close.

Decades of research has already identified areas that will deliver the most conservation benefit per square-kilometer and, as part of the Antarctic Treaty System, CCAMLR decisions needn’t go through a laborious ratification process. The body’s 26 member countries and the European Union only have to give the proposals a thumbs up.

At last count, only 8.35 percent of the global ocean is currently protected. If CCAMLR approved all four proposals ready for immediate implementation—East Antarctic; Weddell Sea, Phase 1; Antarctic Peninsula, Domain 1; and, Weddell Sea, Phase 2—they would protect 26 percent of the Southern Ocean and nearly 3 percent of the global ocean. It would be the largest single act of ocean conservation in history and represent a major contribution toward achieving the global 30×30 goal.

It has become apparent that Antarctic marine protections urgently require high level attention from leaders before the crisis slips out of hand. In 2023, the G20 endorsed expanding MPA’s in Antarctica. They now have an opportunity to give the process a boost by calling for the approval of the aforementioned MPA proposals no later than 2026 in their “Leaders’ Declaration”.

The world depends on a healthy Southern Ocean, and the future of the Southern Ocean requires leadership now.

Holly Parker Curry is the MPA Campaign Director for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC).

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Fati N’zi-Hassane. Credit: Natalia Jidovanu/Oxfam

By Fati N’zi-Hassane
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

The 29th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP29) currently underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, is a key global milestone for agreeing on a new compromise to reduce emissions and to provide to the Global South the much-needed finance to address the devastating consequences of the climate crisis.

While these climate talks must aim at having rich countries step up and contribute the resources needed, they must also be about how to ensure that the funds actually reach the most vulnerable…because right now, they don’t.

A study by Oxfam has shown that only 0.8% of the directly reported recipients of climate finance in the Sahel could be confidently defined as locally-based organizations. The bulk of climate finance goes to international organizations, an indicator of the level of exclusion that local actors still face in directly accessing and managing climate initiatives coming from international public finance.

Oxfam’s interviews with over 100 organizations in the Sahel – one of the regions most affected by climate change – revealed that a myriad of obstacles prevent civil society organizations from accessing available climate funds.

Application procedures are often too complex, and favor large, well-established organizations capable of meeting the bureaucratic requirements such as financial statements, letters of approval, environmental and social guarantees, proven experience in managing large budgets, and registration documents that are imposed on them.

Credit: Karelia Pallan/Oxfam

Documentation and information sessions are often in English, a less accessible language for many Sahelians, not to mention the fact that information doesn’t even reach them in communities where access to the internet and electricity is limited.

Many funding mechanisms require a financial contribution from the organization, or financial guarantees in the case of loans, or even a multi-year financial balance sheet including audits and financial statements, conditions that smaller organizations are not in a position to meet. Short deadlines for application discourage many.

The program objectives that guide the use of funds are often imposed without taking into account the real needs of the target communities.

Marginalized by social norms within their own communities, women lack access to decision-making bodies, capacity-building opportunities, and land ownership, which prevents them from accessing financing mechanisms that require land as collateral.

In addition, finance tends to be less accessible in contexts affected by conflict, insecurity, and other multidimensional factors of fragility. This is mainly due to a risk averse approach by donors leaving out these areas from their geographical priorities, but also because of the high cost related to implementation, the difficulty to access project areas, and questions about the sustainability of investments.

Yet, it is exactly these fragile and conflict affected communities that are facing most urgent needs to address climate-related impacts and build resilience. One way of improving the flow of climate finance to such areas would be by creating more direct access mechanisms for local authorities and community-based organizations. Ultimately, they are the ones who are best placed to manage the barriers above.

Among the highly inaccessible funds are the Adaptation fund, the Global Environment Fund, the Green Climate Fund, and funds from financial institutions, such as the World Bank or the African Development Bank.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) and local communities in the Global South are leading on climate solutions in their contexts, for example, as first responders when disaster strike in their community, or as leaders rallying their community around disaster risk reduction or environmental conservation projects.

It is not only fair but also highly effective that they are able to access and manage as much as possible the international climate finance flowing to their countries. With the Loss and Damage fund, created following COP27, becoming operational, it is important to avoid the pitfalls of other climate funds and to facilitate communities’ access to this new source of financing.

Some simple changes that can improve climate finance access include removing barriers such as co-financing requirements, improving information sharing, making application processes simple and establishing specific quotas and direct access funding windows for national and local civil society organizations, especially the ones representing farmers, indigenous peoples, women, youth or people with disabilities.

The success of COP29 will be measured not only by the quantity of funds committed, but also by the quality of their allocation. Only funds that actually reach the communities on the frontline of the climate crisis and truly meet their needs will contribute to delivering climate justice.

Fati N’zi-Hassane is Africa Director, Oxfam International

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Roland Kupers, a lead architect at the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Methane Emissions Observatory

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

Methane emissions have emerged as a focal point of discussion as global leaders congregate at COP29 in Baku to tackle the escalating climate crisis.

In an exclusive interview with IPS, Roland Kupers, a lead architect at the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Methane Emissions Observatory, outlined actionable strategies to curb methane emissions by 2030, the challenges ahead, and the crucial role of international cooperation.

The Methane Problem: Sectoral Challenges and Opportunities

“Methane emissions are not a singular issue but rather a collection of problems spanning five key sectors: oil and gas, coal, waste, rice, and livestock,” Kupers said.  He adds that each sector requires tailored solutions.

“UNEP has prioritized the oil and gas industry due to its substantial potential for reduction.”

“The oil and gas industry could achieve a 75 percent reduction in methane emissions by 2030. It’s not only affordable but also feasible, given the industry’s access to technology, capital, and expertise,” Kupers said, adding that the waste sector also presents significant opportunities, although organizing mitigation measures in this sector poses logistical challenges.

UNEP’s approach includes creating detailed programs to address emissions in high-impact industries like oil, gas, and steel.

“Methane emissions account for a third of the climate footprint of steel production, yet they can be eliminated at a cost of less than 1% of steel’s production price.”

Data: A Cornerstone for Action

Kupers also underlined the critical role of accurate data in driving methane mitigation efforts.

“Data is essential for human agency. Without precise, measurement-based data, it’s impossible to identify and address the specific sources of emissions effectively.”

According to him, many existing datasets rely on emission factors derived from outdated studies. UNEP advocates transitioning to real-time, site-specific measurements to better target interventions.

“When you gather accurate data, you often find emissions in unexpected places, stressing the need for precise monitoring.”

Systemic Shifts in the Energy Sector

To align with the 2030 climate goals, Kupers argues for a fundamental transformation of the global energy system.

“While mitigating methane emissions is crucial, it’s not a substitute for decarbonization. The ultimate objective must be to eliminate fossil fuels entirely.”

He also highlighted the health benefits of reducing methane emissions.

“Methane, both directly and through incomplete combustion, contributes to significant local health hazards.”

The Financial Perspective

While climate discussions often center around the financial challenges of adaptation and mitigation, Kupers believes that addressing methane emissions, particularly in the oil and gas sector, is not a financial burden.

“The oil and gas industry is highly profitable and well-resourced. It has no excuse for not addressing its methane emissions,” Kupers said, adding that even oil and gas operations in developing countries operate in highly sophisticated, well-funded environments.

Responsibilities of Developed Nations

The methane issue differs from broader climate equity debates, Kupers explained.

“For methane emissions in oil and gas, the responsibility to act is universal. Whether in Nigeria, Argentina, or Indonesia, the industry operates with the same high standards and capabilities as in developed countries.”

This universality makes methane mitigation a “climate good news story,” as it bypasses some of the equity challenges seen in broader decarbonization debates.

Barriers to Progress

Despite decades of climate discussions, significant hurdles remain in addressing global warming. He attributes the slow progress to a lack of prioritization and awareness about methane’s role.

“Methane has only recently gained prominence on the global agenda. The science highlighting its importance has emerged in the past decade,” Kupers said. Policymakers are often unaware of methane’s substantial climate footprint or the cost-effective solutions available.

Key COP-29 Objectives

“UNEP has established ambitious goals for methane mitigation. The Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP 2.0), a UNEP-led initiative, currently includes companies responsible for 42 percent of global oil and gas production. Kupers urged more companies to join, with the aim of achieving 80 percent participation,” Kupers said.

Another critical initiative is the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), which integrates data from a dozen satellites to identify significant emission sources. UNEP then notifies governments and companies of these emissions.

“Over the past year, we’ve sent 1,200 notifications to governments, but the response rate has been dismal—just 1 percent,” Kupers said, a disappointing lack of engagement that points to the need for stronger accountability measures at COP29.

The Stakes: Why Methane Matters

Human-induced methane emissions are responsible for a third of the current warming. Unlike CO2, which is often a byproduct of energy use, methane emissions are largely waste streams. This makes them easier to address and a critical opportunity for climate action.

“Methane mitigation is not just an environmental necessity but a low-hanging fruit. It’s a solvable problem, and we must seize this opportunity,” Kupers said.

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Srilata Kammila, Head of Climate Change Adaptation at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Credit: UNDP

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

Empowering communities, fostering innovation and integrating socio-economic contexts into climate strategies are crucial for effective adaptation to climate change, says Srilata Kammila, Head of Climate Change Adaptation at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In an exclusive interview with Inter Press Service, Kammila shed light on the agency’s pioneering approaches to locally-led climate adaptation.

“Locally-led adaptation isn’t just about governments or international agencies imposing solutions,” she said. “It’s about engaging communities in designing projects based on their specific vulnerabilities, socio-economic contexts, and indigenous knowledge.”

This approach, according to Kammila, ensures that adaptation strategies address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable groups, including women, youth, and ethnic minorities. For instance, during the design phase of adaptation projects, extensive stakeholder consultations inform decisions, blending climate science with local realities.

“We recognize that vulnerable communities often bear the brunt of climate change,” Kammila told IPS in an interview. “By involving them in decision-making, we not only ensure equitable solutions but also harness their unique knowledge and resilience.”

Innovative Models for Locally-Led Solutions

She says that UNDP’s Adaptation Innovation Marketplace (AIMA) stands out as an example of fostering local innovation. This platform, according to Kammila, provides grants ranging from USD 60,000 to USD 250,000 to support grassroots entrepreneurs and organizations.

“We’ve backed projects like floating aquaponics farms in India, benefiting over 5,700 households, and climate-resilient housing in the Sahel,” Kammila says.

She adds that beyond financial support, AIMA offers technical assistance, business advisory services, and peer-to-peer networking. These measures, she claims, help local innovators scale their projects and embed climate adaptation strategies into their enterprises.

“This model isn’t just about funding; it’s about building capacity. From farming innovations to agroforestry, we’re enabling communities to develop solutions tailored to their realities.”

Integrating Local and National Planning

A critical aspect of UNDP’s work, according to Kammila, involves bridging national adaptation strategies with local needs. National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) often guide overarching priorities, but localized plans dive deeper into region-specific vulnerabilities and opportunities.

Kammila cited Mozambique’s example, where the government developed local adaptation plans in 11 districts. These plans consider specific climate risks, such as rainfall patterns and crop requirements, to implement targeted solutions.

“Adapting national strategies to local contexts is essential. What works for a farm in Mozambique might not suit one in India. By downscaling adaptation plans, we ensure that local governments and communities take the lead in shaping their futures.”

Building Long-Term Resilience

The UNDP also collaborates with governments to integrate climate adaptation into broader development policies. This includes strengthening governance mechanisms, building local capacity, and ensuring climate finance reaches those who need it most.

“From ministries of finance to local farmers, everyone must be part of the conversation. Adaptation isn’t a one-time effort; it’s an iterative process. Risks evolve, and so must our strategies.”

UNDP has supported over 60 countries in developing NAPs, enabling them to integrate climate risks into their development agendas.

“This process not only builds resilience but also unlocks resources for sustainable growth.”

The Path Ahead

Despite significant progress, Kammila acknowledged the challenges ahead.

“We’ve laid the foundation, but scaling these efforts requires sustained commitment and innovation,” she said.

By prioritizing locally-led initiatives, the UNDP is proving that communities are not just victims of climate change but vital agents of change.

“Climate adaptation is most effective when it’s rooted in the lived realities of those it seeks to serve.”

Localized Innovation and Technical Assistance

Climate adaptation doesn’t necessitate high-tech imports from developed nations but should focus on locally appropriate solutions, Kamilla explains.

“Innovation depends on what’s needed in that context—whether it’s drought resilience or flood management. Technical assistance, technology transfer, and capacity building must include awareness of climate risks not just now, but how we know they will unfold.”

This approach involves extensive studies on climate risks, projecting potential impacts over five to ten years.  She adds that UNDP’s Green Climate Fund projects, for instance, begin with consultations involving community-based organizations to ensure that adaptation solutions align with the needs of vulnerable populations, especially women.

Incorporating Gender Perspectives

Gender equity is central to UNDP’s climate adaptation framework. Kammila highlighted a project in Bangladesh that focuses on the Sundarbans region, where women are often disproportionately affected by climate-induced migration and socio-economic challenges.

“In the Sundarbans, men frequently migrate to urban areas, leaving women with limited resources and agency. The project, implemented with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs rather than the Ministry of Environment, prioritizes women’s needs, ensuring they benefit from water and adaptation solutions,” Kammila says.

UNDP, she says, employs gender-disaggregated data to monitor how projects impact women specifically.

“For instance, if a project targets 200,000 people, we aim to ensure a significant percentage are women. This involves examining how women in households directly benefit from water solutions or other interventions.”

Challenges in Integrating Adaptation with Development

While UNDP supports governments in integrating climate adaptation into national development goals, the actual integration is the responsibility of governments.

This process, according to Kammila, is however fraught with challenges. She says the key hurdles include data and information deficiencies, as developing countries often lack observational networks and forecasting capacities critical for understanding climate risks at granular levels.

She also noted Institutional and Human Capacity Gaps as many Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) struggle with limited expertise in adaptation planning. “

“Also, we have community-level awareness. Local governments and communities frequently lack understanding of effective adaptation strategies, necessitating education and training. And then we have financial constraints, as adaptation requires additional financing, often unavailable through traditional development budgets. Instruments like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) are vital to bridging this gap,” Kammila told IPS.

Mobilizing Climate Finance

“We’ve mobilized USD 1.6 billion in active portfolios, unlocking USD 3 billion in co-financing. This funding supports sectors such as agriculture, water management, disaster preparedness, and ecosystem-based adaptation.”

In practical terms, says Kammila, UNDP assists governments in combining their development budgets with climate finance to ensure resilience. For example, irrigation investments are augmented with climate-sensitive funds to make them adaptive. “We oversee and monitor the funds to ensure proper use, applying environmental, social, and gender safeguards.”

Expectations from COP

As the global community gathers for the COP29 at Baku, finance remains a central theme. Kammila acknowledges the urgency. “This is now or never. A major focus is on setting a new global climate finance target. The challenge is ensuring sufficient and timely resources for adaptation, particularly for vulnerable countries. Yeah, I mean, absolutely, it’s the finance COP. A big focus of this is, as you know, the new global climate finance target.”

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Experts from diverse fields seek answers to the question of what really makes people safe at an event organized by Soka Gakkai International and partners. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 18 2024 (IPS)

At a time when the COP29 summit is primarily focused on climate finance as a tool to cool catastrophically high global temperatures and reverse consequences for all life on earth, delegates—alarmed and concerned by the state of world peace and stability—are seeking ways to enhance safety.Delegates at a side event organized by Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and SGI-UK, British Quakers, Quaker Earthcare Witness, and Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers), Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), explored key questions on what climate action approaches contribute to a safer world for people and planet or risk a more unsafe world.

“We are negotiating in this COP for increased finance, yet everyone in this room who is a major fossil fuel extraction country, except Colombia, is increasing their oil and gas extraction. And outside, war is spreading, and finance for the military is at levels higher than at any time since the Cold War. We bring experts from various walks of life into discussions on what really makes us safe,” said event moderator Lindsey Fielder Cook from the Quaker United Nations Office. 

There were experts on techno-fixed reliance and risks to techno-fixed reliance, military spending, peace activists, climate finance in fragile states, and also others who spoke about their lives, faith, and working with youth. They talked about peace, climate finance, and climate action in an existential time and how human activities are also driving existential rates of species extinction and chemical pollution as we know.

Andrew Okem from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and an expert in science adaptation, vulnerability, and impacts observed, “Science has given us a range of actions that we as a society can implement and can contribute towards making our society better and safer for all of us, such as building climate-resilient agri-food systems. This includes diversifying climate-smart coping and climate-smart practices. Rapid decarbonization is critical, hence the need to phase out fossil fuels and a shift to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower.”

Tackling issues of peace and climate finance amid climate and conflict-driven existential threats. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

Okem spoke about the need for nature-based solutions, integrated water management, sustainable cities, and inclusive governance and decision-making. Emphasizing that any further delay “in concerted, anticipated global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss this great and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a developed and sustainable future for all.”

Lucy Plummer, member of the international grassroots lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International, which actively engages in society in the areas of peace, culture, and education, said she wanted to “amplify the COP16 message. We need to make peace with nature. I have closely followed discussions, including the round table on the global framework on children, youth, peace, and climate security.”

Saying that it was encouraging that the interconnection of climate and peace is being recognized and that there was great support for this initiative from states and other key stakeholders. But Plummer also felt that the most key issue was not mentioned at all—”our ongoing war with nature. It is a war because there is so much violence in the way that we relate to nature. We urgently need to disarm our ways of thinking about nature.”

“In yesterday’s peace talks and in all of the talks happening all around the COP29, this vital piece of the puzzle is missing. Humans’ separation from nature is the root of the climate crisis, and unless we rectify this and make peace with nature, we simply will not have the wisdom needed to resolve this crisis and prevent so much suffering. The Indigenous peoples know it and have been coming to these COPs every year trying to get us to understand this. Their messages have not changed. They get it, but for some reason we are not ready to hear it or we do not want to hear it.”

Dr. Duncan McLaren, a research fellow from the UCLA School of Law and an expert in technofixes and ethical mitigation options, spoke about his research that explores the justice and political implications of global technologies, including carbon removal. His recent work explores the geopolitics of geoengineering and the governance of carbon removal techniques in the context of net zero policy goals.

“Climate insecurity is all around us. We’ve seen floods, wildfires, droughts, and storms. Clearly, emissions cuts alone can no longer avert dangerous climate change. It is wishful thinking that we can avoid reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius with just more emissions at 8,000. So that is why I have been looking at other technologies and how they might work. Carbon removal can contribute to climate repair, the repair of humanity’s relationship with the earth,” McLaren emphasized.

“Carbon removal techniques can help us counterbalance recalcitrant emissions to achieve net zero. And more importantly, deal with the unfairly generated legacy of excess emissions. But as Professor Corrie and I show in our briefing paper for the Quaker UN Office, they will only make us safer if we keep the tasks they ask us to do small. Emissions need to be cut by 95 percent.”

Harriet Mackaill-Hill from International Alert spoke about climate, conflict, and finance and the need to define the COP29 New Collective Quantified Goal through these lenses.  She said the linkages between “climate and conflict are well established. While climate is never the sole cause of conflict, it is very much a stressor. Climate will exacerbate various stressors for conflict. These can be human security, food security, or competition over natural resources, which will in turn very much create and worsen conflict. How can people adapt to the impacts of climate change when in extreme vulnerability, sometimes conflict, when livelihoods or lives are at stake?”

Deborah Burton, co-founder of Tipping Point North South, spoke about the intersection between military spending and climate finance. Giving a perspective on what makes people unsafe in terms of military spending and military missions, she said there is a need to understand “the scale of global military missions in peacetime and war and the associated scale of military spending that enables those missions.”

“They combine to achieve one thing and one thing only: the undermining of human safety in this climate emergency. So, the estimated global military carbon footprint, and it is an estimate because it’s not fully reported by any stretch of the imagination, is estimated to be at 5.5 percent of total global emissions. This is more than the combined annual emissions of the 54 nations of the African continent. It is twice as much as emissions of civilian aviation, and that estimate does not include conflict-related emissions.”

Shirine Jurdi spoke of her lived experience from Lebanon linking to climate finance. She said, “There is no climate justice during war, and there is no ecological justice during war. With every bomb that drops, the land, the sea, and the people suffer irreparable harm.”

Stressing that “safety is not only about survival and its destruction. It is about thriving in peace under skies that are blue, not filled with smoke or phosphorus bombs. To create a safer world, let’s stop colonization and redirect resources from destruction to building sustainable, productive communities. Let us invest in ecological peacebuilding and restore the lands and the ecosystems damaged by conflict.”

Note: This article is brought to you by IPS Noram in collaboration with INPS Japan and Soka Gakkai International in consultative status with ECOSOC.

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Alab Mirasol Ayroso making her speech during the Youth Action in the hallways of COP29, Baku. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 17 2024 (IPS)

“We cannot rely on capitalistic logic to serve our fight for liberation. More investments will not build houses after floods because it’s not profitable. Corporations will not overthrow the industrial-agricultural complex that is completing our assault.”

So say the Alliance of Non-Governmental Radical Youths and People’s Rising for Climate Justice Youth that jointly led this youth action at the COP29 venue.

“That is why we are here to fight for the technical details to prevent the harm that money can cause. We cannot accept more loans and more debt. Climate finance cannot ‘financialize’ the climate crisis in power markets or fault solutions.”

Speaking to IPS, Alab Mirasol Ayroso said that the youth action is about their “demands as young people. We talked about fossil fuels, the phase-out of fossil fuels and more importantly, we talked about false solutions and militarization. Mostly, it’s really about recognizing the human rights in these negotiations, in these spaces where we can have real solutions if we only listen to the people on the ground.”

Drawn from all corners of the world, the youths have coalesced around issues that matter to them. Issues that they say are not a priority agenda for COP29 negotiations. They sang, chanted and, one after the other, made powerful speeches about climate change, peace and unity, human and environmental rights, the end of fossil fuels, climate debt and that rich countries and high polluters must pay.

Hajar, one of the speakers at the Youth Action, stressed that the “wealthiest nation must confront their colonial histories and make meaningful progress on reparation for loss and damage caused by their climate crisis. On demilitarization and its connection to finance stands a huge capitalist market that benefits from slaughtering, killing, and exploitation. Yet when we ask for money, there is always the same answer. There is not enough money.”

Ayroso says the young people can see through the smokescreen, hypocrisy, double speak, a lack of climate commitment and the youth agenda: “There is a lot of money. There is enough money all around, but we also know it is going to militarism, wars and genocides. There is simply no political will. This is why we refuse to be sidelined and silenced. We want the world to listen, hear us and our demands.”

“When the fire gets high. When the smoke rolls in. When the people rise. Can you hear us sing? It’s the end of fossil fuels. The end of fossil fuels. When the water gets high. When the flood rolls in. When the people rise. Can you hear us sing? It’s the end of fossil fuels. The end of fossil fuels. When the heat gets high. When the tide walks in. When the people rise. Can you hear us sing? It’s the end of fossil fuels,” they sang.

The youth want direct access for indigenous peoples, youth, children, workers, women, LGBTQIA and people with disabilities. Vowing to stand united at COP29 “until the last minute. We are in these halls to fight for our rights. There is no climate justice without human rights.

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In Sudan Children are facing climate and conflict challenges at the same time. Photo: JC Mcllwaine/Flickr

By Tanka Dhakal
BAKU, Nov 17 2024 (IPS)

As the world grapples with ongoing armed conflicts, from Ukraine to Gaza, advocacy for a more proactive approach to understanding and effectively responding to the needs of children affected by both armed conflict and climate-induced crises is growing.

A paper published in 2023 confirmed the link between climate insecurity and grave violations against children in armed conflict, including recruitment, use, and denial of humanitarian access. The Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) highlighted this connection in a study titled “Climate Insecurity Impacts on Children and Armed Conflict.” 

The study suggested that decision-makers and practitioners should integrate a dual approach, incorporating both a climate lens and a child-centered lens into their work.

One year after this report was published, world leaders gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the UN climate conference, COP29, and the call to integrate climate, armed conflict, and their impact on children has gained momentum.

Virginia Gamba, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC). Credit: UN Photo

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) emphasized the importance of addressing the links between climate, peace, security, and the children and armed conflict agenda.

“From the Lake Chad Basin to Syria, from Mozambique to Myanmar, in 2024, children have been the most impacted by both armed conflict and climate insecurity. Yet, children affected by armed conflict remain largely absent from ongoing climate, peace, and security discussions. We must change our approach to include these children if we are seeking inclusive and sustainable solutions,” Gamba said.

“Incorporating a climate perspective in our monitoring and reporting is also essential to better tailor our actions to end and prevent grave violations against children in armed conflict.”

According to UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Security Risk Index, nearly half of the world’s children—approximately 1 billion—live in extremely high-risk countries, where climate change contributes to conflict-related displacement.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF produced the Guiding Principles for Children on the Move in the Context of Climate Change, which provides additional explanation of children’s movement in the context of climate change. The report notes that while the rights of children displaced by conflict and climate change should be protected, governments and humanitarian actors often struggle to access and assist these children due to conflict.

The Special Representative calls on all leaders not to overlook children affected by conflict in climate, peace, and security discussions and to include them in financial commitments supporting sustainable solutions for both peace and climate.

Gamba added, “In a context where CAAC is often underfunded in humanitarian responses, supporting flexible funding for emergency response that considers both children affected by armed conflict and climate peace and security can have a multiplier effect and provide sustainable solutions to closely linked issues. We will continue to highlight these connections.”

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Erik Solheim, former director of the UN Environment Programme and former Norwegian Minister of Environment and International Development at COP29. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 17 2024 (IPS)

It has been a high-profile packed agenda in Baku, Azerbaijan, marked by milestone events designed to complete the first enhanced transparency framework and the new collective quantified goal on finance, among other top priority matters.

Besides the Conference of the Parties (COP 29) session, there is the 19th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, the sixth meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement and the 61st sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 61) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 61).

IPS spoke to Erik Solheim, a former director of the UN Environment Programme and former Norwegian Minister of Environment and International Development, about the ongoing negotiations and what they mean to the global community amidst many pressing challenges.

“I think there is a breakthrough at this conference, which is not appreciated by everyone as it looks very technical, but that is the agreement on rules for the carbon market. The carbon market is much more likely to produce substantial money than the negotiations, which are somewhat stalled, and here you have a mechanism that will make it possible for the big tech companies in the world—for airlines, medical companies, and food companies—to provide for carbon offsets, which will be mangrove restoration in Sri Lanka, natural farming in Andhra Pradesh in India, reforestation in Brazil, and protection of forests in Guyana,” he explained.

Solheim, who is working on green programs in China and India, was referencing a critical early success as Parties already reached consensus on standards for the creation of carbon credits under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement. The consensus is vital as it will increase demand for carbon credits and, by doing so, enable climate action while ensuring that the international carbon market operates with integrity under the supervision of the United Nations.

The full operationalization of Article 6 has been a key negotiating priority at this year’s Summit. The COP29 Presidency has termed the consensus a game-changing tool to direct resources to the developing world. Finalizing Article 6 negotiations could reduce the cost of implementing national climate plans by USD 250 billion per year by enabling cooperation across borders.

“There are so many potential assets and you have an easy mechanism where well-off companies can provide substantial money. Those nations that caused the climate problem should pay for it, and those nations are in particular the United States of America, which has emitted eight times as much per capita as China and 25 times as much as India per capita, and if you compare to small island developing states or Africa, the difference is even bigger,” he said.

Solheim says the issues are difficult and complex and more so as the United States is “now telling the world that we have caused the problem, but you will sort it out. That is completely irresponsible and people are dissatisfied with that position. However, I also believe that this mechanism we have established for global climate finance is dysfunctional, very bureaucratic, and has a number of dysfunctional rules. So even if you put more money into them, they will not work.”

As things stand, he says the main avenues for climate finance are private investment, that China is providing enormous private investment through the Belt and Road, and that the West should follow up with private investment in difficult markets. The other avenue is the carbon market. On COP Summit setbacks and shortfalls, he says there is too much focus on diplomacy, which derails progress: “In Glasgow, there was an enormous quarrel on whether to phase down or phase out coal. It had no significance whatsoever on the world outside.”

“In Dubai, the issue was… in what way should we phase out coal? Again, hardly any impact on the outside world. It was not driving the change. It is something completely different. The price of solar energy has fallen by 90 percent and that of wind energy has fallen by 85 percent. So for any nation that switches from coal or fossil fuels to solar, it is not a cost. You generate income as it is much cheaper,” he says.

Stressing that only a complete change of the economic considerations is driving climate action everywhere in the world but at the same time, climate conferences are vital as they bring communities from all corners of the world together, creating an opportunity for business deals, exchange of views, as well as learning of best practices.

He calls for a change in perspective such as the one demonstrated by China and India, as “they are now world leaders in green transformation and not because they get money from someone else, but because they see it as a nation-building tool for economic development. I would like to see a change in the atmosphere, from talks to a focus on the political economy.”

“China last year provided two-thirds of all new green energy in the entire world. Let the rest of the world step back to Chinese levels; if possible, then we will be far on the way to solving the problem. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India just launched a plan for 10 million homes and buildings in India with rooftop solar. Let other nations follow such workable solutions and the world will go very far and achieve desired progress very fast,” he stressed.

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A sudden flurry of activity as Jagadish Vasudev, known widely as Sadhguru, emerges from an interview room in the COP29 media centre. It’s early days of the conference and there is energy and excitement at the venue in Baku. With his long flowing beard and blue turban, it’s clear that many journalists are keen to interview […]