Climate diplomacy - Azerbaijan must strenthen a case for local government action
By Mayor Kenalemang Phukuntsi
With global temperatures hitting record highs, and extreme weather events affecting people around the globe, the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22 , is an opportunity to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis.
The Baku Summit, builds on COP28 held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which recognized the importance of multilevel action and the role of local and subnational governments in advancing global climate action as outlined in the United Arab Emirates Consensus whose solid outcomes included the conclusion of the first global stocktake, the establishment of a dedicated fund under the UNFCCC—and the setting of targets for the Global Goal on Adaptation.
While the negative impacts of greenhouse emissions are felt across the globe, the direct impacts of climate variability and climate extreme events are inherently local.
Given that the direct impacts are felt first and foremost at the local level, local authorities have a major influence on climate change action, however their actions are strongly determined by the national fiscal, regulatory and policy contexts, which often makes it challenging for them to shoulder the massive investments and adaptation efforts required for sustainable, low-to-no emission, and climate resilient development.
Local governments remain concerned that the world is not on track to achieve the SDGs, risks overshooting the 1.5°C objective of the Paris Agreement, is failing to adapt to the changing climate, and that natural habitat integrity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history.
As local government together with our partners, we see ourselves as implementation partners and we are keen to support the development, financing, and implementation of ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Long-Term Strategies (LTSs) and other key strategies ahead of 2025.
As a result, we urge the South African negotiating team to work hard in providing leadership together with other Parties, to ensure that COP29 builds on the COP28 to foster stronger synergies between mitigation, adaptation, resilience, nature-based solutions, food security, land degradation, biodiversity protection and restoration, and health, thereby ensuring that no one is left behind in the global fight against climate change.
As implementation partners to the Paris Agreement, the local government constituency remains committed to supporting the development, financing, and execution of ambitious NDCs and other key strategies leading up to 2025.
To this effect, we urge South Africa as a trailblazer and leader in implementing multilevel climate action, to join the 72 Parties who have endorsed the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) - an initiative which aims to pursue efforts across all levels of governments for enhanced NDCs by 2025. We need to ensure that COP 29 throws a spotlight on adaptation and secure the necessary resources by being specific on how countries will deliver on the Global Goal on Adaptation and put in place measures to cope with and minimize the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
It is furthermore crucial that COP29 accelerates the application of financial, technical, and capacity-building resources that will enable developing countries to meet the conditional targets outlined in their NDCs and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
To us and other developing economies, these resources are instrumental in our efforts to mitigate climate risks, enhance resilience, and pursue inclusive, sustainable development. Access to finance must be significantly scaled up to offer new, additional, and predictable funding that is fit for purpose, categorically, we need grants and highly concessional financing that can be effectively allocated to create enabling environments for rapid investments.
As we look ahead to COP29, we recognise that we are approaching another decisive milestone.
This conference presents one of the final opportunities for countries to signal their intentions for new and enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of the 2025 deadline for the second NDC cycle. These plans will determine whether we collectively fulfil the ambitions set out in the Paris Agreement. Therefore, COP29 must build consensus, drive momentum, and ensure that every nation is on a sustainable path toward a net-zero economy.
COP29 is a moment for the global community to transform our shared ambitions into concrete actions. By uniting our efforts, we can ensure that the commitments we make today lead to a safer, more sustainable, and more equitable future for generations to come.
The task ahead is significant and requires our unwavering resolve - As local government we expect COP29, to accelerate inclusive, multilevel, gender-responsive and cooperative action, developed in partnership with local and other subnational governments, to address raise the bar on sustainable human settlements, net-zero urbanization and climate action at all levels.
Councillor Kenalemang Phukuntsi, Mayor of Tswelopele Municipality and Commissioner of the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC).
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