The COP climate talks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are “no longer fit for purpose” and urgently require an overhaul, according to key experts, including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and former UN climate officials.
Speaking at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell highlighted the economic impact of climate change, noting it is slicing up to 5% off GDP in many countries.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking at COP29 in Baku, highlighted that the initial $700 million for the Loss and Damage Fund—a victory for developing nations, multilateralism, and climate justice—equates to the annual earnings of the world’s ten highest-paid footballers.
Kenya is stepping up in the climate fight, targeting a 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This ambitious goal is part of Kenya’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), revised four years ago due to more frequent, intense weather events, and the toll of climate change on the economy. In its NDC for 2020-2030, Kenya, heavily reliant on climate-sensitive resources, has pledged to pursue a low-carbon, climate-resilient development path. The goal? A sustainable development agenda that brings Kenya closer to net-zero through a commitment to reducing emissions across energy, industrial processes, agriculture, land use, forestry, and waste. The primary gases targeted include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). As the world gathers at COP29 in Baku, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell emphasized the critical importance of new national climate plans. “The quality of those NDC submissions is of greatest importance,” he stated, underscoring that the current commitments are due for an update next year. Financing these ambitious goals will require a colossal investment. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that two trillion dollars are needed this year alone for clean energy and infrastructure. Stiell pointed out that much of this investment is concentrated in only a few major markets, urging that funds “must flow to where they’re needed most.” Kenya’s NDC, faced with a considerable financial burden, aims to cover 21% of mitigation costs from domestic sources, leaving 79% reliant on international finance, technology, and capacity-building support. Top priorities include enhancing renewable energy in Kenya’s already 93% green power grid, as highlighted by President William Ruto. Other key initiatives include improving energy efficiency, reaching 10% tree cover nationwide, achieving land degradation neutrality, and scaling up nature-based solutions. Efforts also focus on climate-smart agriculture, sustainable waste management, and harnessing blue economy potential through coastal carbon payment for ecosystem services (PES). Adaptation measures are equally critical, with a focus on building resilience across disaster risk reduction, agriculture, health, urbanization, and vulnerable groups. Kenya’s NDC targets disaster resilience at national and local levels, aiming to support community-led climate actions and mainstream climate adaptation into development plans. According to Stiell, this massive undertaking isn’t optional. “Unless all countries can slash emissions deeply, every country and every household will be hammered even harder than they currently are,” he warned. The alternative? “A permanent inflationary nightmare,” a reality Stiell says the world cannot afford. As COP29 continues, Kenya and other nations face the challenge of turning pledges into tangible, high-impact action—underscoring that global climate resilience is a shared responsibility and essential for a sustainable future.
