By: Yasar Aracik
The last COP, COP29 (Conference of the Parties), was held from November 11 to November 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. A Rotary delegation, led by Mark Maloney, Chair of The Rotary Foundation, included Mohamed Delawar, Rotary Representative to the Arab League and ESRAG member; Alberto Palombo, ESRAG Director from Brazil; and Daniel Coney, Rotary staff member. The conference was also attended by other ESRAG members, including Chris Puttock, Şafak Ozsoy, Cinderella Ndlovu, and Hande Apaydin.
The conference was particularly significant as decisions were anticipated regarding financing the energy transition. COP29 launched a new global climate finance target, aiming to raise $300 billion annually for developing countries by 2035, with developed countries “taking the lead.” This replaces the earlier $100 billion per year target that developed countries had previously agreed to provide. However, many countries expressed disappointment with the outcome, labelling it a “joke.”
COP29 also reached an agreement on rules for carbon trading and made minor progress on some issues. However, key discussions on topics like the global stocktake, fossil fuels, National Adaptation Plans, Loss and Damage, and the Just Transition Plan were postponed to Bonn, where draft recommendations will be prepared for consideration at COP30 in November 2025.
After attending COP29, Mark Maloney stated, “It was my honour as Chair of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation to lead Rotary’s delegation to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku. The delegation focused its efforts on connecting with organizations with whom The Rotary Foundation might partner in future Environment Area of Focus and other projects. Such organizations included the Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, Habitat for Humanity, and the International Institute for Environment and Development. I was also pleased to pay a courtesy call on Kitty van der Heijden, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Rotary’s polio eradication partner.”
Alberto Palombo shared his reflections on the conference, noting significant interest from NGOs, research centres, and observers in sharing ideas, solutions, and building partnerships. He observed a focus on the details of achieving net-zero emissions, resilient low-carbon strategies, and the just transition concept. “There was a lot of discussion on how climate change relates to other Areas of Focus,” he said.
Palombo attended a digital innovation and youth session where he met young Rotarians. He and Mark Maloney also established strong connections with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and, with the support of Paul Desanker, a Rotarian at UNFCCC, with the Global Climate Fund (GCF) for future cooperation.
During COP29, the Baku International Rotary Club hosted ESRAG members, providing an opportunity to meet with attendees and the Chair of The Rotary Foundation, Mark Maloney.
ESRAG will organize a webinar in the coming weeks to discuss COP29 outcomes in more detail.
Next year, COP30 will be held in Belém, Brazil, on a river in the heart of the Amazon. It promises to be a special event, as the President-Elect of Rotary International, Mario Cesar do Camargo, is from Brazil.
Watch the panel discussion on ESRAG’s Climate Talks: from COP 29 to COP 30.
