World Climate Conference: Anger and frustration in Baku: UN climate summit struggles to conclude

Will there be a breakthrough in the dispute over money or will there even be a risk of regression in the fight against the climate crisis? Shortly before the end of the World Climate Conference in Baku, a bitter dispute broke out. Developing countries are demanding that industrialized countries drastically increase their climate aid. However, the EU, USA and other economic powers continued to refuse to offer concrete sums in the final phase.

UN Secretary-General Antonió Guterres traveled to Baku specifically to make a statement: “I call on every party to make greater efforts, increase the pace and deliver results. The need is urgent, the reward is great – and time is short.” Failure is not an option.

Hardly more than 24 hours before the planned end, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also appeared at the conference for the first time. The Green Party politician had already arrived in Baku on Tuesday evening, but had to call in sick. “We as Team Germany and as Team Europe will continue to fight hard for every millimeter of progress and every little improvement in the next few days,” she said. It is unacceptable that last year’s climate protection resolutions in Dubai are now being “watered down or worsened”.

Already in the morning, frustration and anger spread in the tent city at the Olympic Stadium when the long-awaited first draft resolution on the financing target was published under the sober number “CMA 6 agenda item 11(a)” – hours late. In order to fill in the trenches, the hosts called a so-called Kurultai at midday – this was the name of the traditional gatherings of princes of the Turkic and Mongolian peoples in the past. All great khans of the Mongol Empire, such as Genghis Khan, were elected at such conventions.

The EU immediately went into attack mode without being diplomatic. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” said Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra. “It is absolutely unacceptable in its current form.” The text falls behind the decisions made in Dubai, where the world agreed to move away from coal, oil and gas. “Let’s look at what climate catastrophes are happening in the world.” This shows that more, not less, ambition is needed.

Addressing the hosts from Azerbaijan, who seem overwhelmed and unambitious to many observers, Hoekstra said: “May I ask them to show more leadership?” Climate activists had already questioned weeks ago whether a state could credibly lead a climate conference if 90 percent of its export revenues depend on oil and gas.

Dizzying buzzes

According to an independent UN group of experts, developing and emerging countries’ need for external aid will amount to around one trillion US dollars per year by 2030 – and even 1.3 trillion by 2035. That would be 10 to 13 times more than before Climate aid is flowing. In view of the dizzying sums, Germany and the EU are calling on “everyone who can” to contribute – especially China, but also rich Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia. Following an old UN logic, these are still treated as developing countries.

A representative of Uganda said on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China that at least 500 billion should come from the industrialized countries every year – but they have not yet responded. A number is now needed “to be able to really determine whether we are making progress.” He emphasized that the traditional industrialized countries had historically contributed the most to climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions. They must therefore take a pioneering role in reducing the emissions and owe developing countries financial and technological support.

The government of Malawi said that the group of 45 least developed countries alone needed $220 billion in climate aid annually. The group’s representative called on the world to think of the innocent people who suffered from the consequences of climate change – for example in Zambia, Madagascar, Nepal, Bangladesh and Tuvalu. In southern Africa, for example, there is a hunger crisis not seen in decades due to an unprecedented drought, according to the UN.

For islands, it’s about ruin

For the small island states, it is about existence. “It is crucial for us that the overall package is in line with the 1.5 degree target,” said the spokesman for the group of states. The text not only lacks the crucial number, but also generally lacks any ambition. Island states like the Maldives or Tuvalu are literally threatened with extinction due to rising sea levels.

What’s next in Baku? At least when it came to the schedule, the Azerbaijani host remained ambitious: revised drafts should be presented on Thursday evening – a consensus should be found by Friday.

Draft resolution on the financing target