Friday, November 15, was the fifth day of the 29th meeting of the United Nations Climate Summit (COP29) in the windy city of Baku, Azerbaijan, and was themed on Energy/Peace, Relief and Recovery.
To mark this day, high-level delegations, activists and climate advocates attending the conference organized several events in pavilions and meeting rooms amid ongoing efforts to achieve a just energy transition and foster peace in vulnerable countries. to the climate worldwide.
This came in the context of strong commitments that aim to “build a solid foundation to measure progress and foster a sense of shared responsibility and urgency across all sectors of society,” COP29 organizers noted.
Throughout the day, delegates and party members endorsed various initiatives and commitments aimed at scaling up renewable energy and low-carbon technologies.
However, concerns remain over ongoing climate negotiations amid perceived geopolitics and slow decisions on climate action. This pushed some climate activists and leaders at COP headquarters to call on negotiators to “Yasunize” fossil fuels (leave fossil fuels in the ground).
Key initiatives launched
On the energy theme day, the COP29 Presidency officially launched three energy initiatives, calling for support for the COP29 Global Commitment on Energy Networks and Storage.
According to organizers, sponsors are committing to the collective goal of deploying 1,500 GW of energy storage worldwide by 2030. This, they say, is more than six times the capacity of 2022. It also includes a commitment to add or renew 25 million kilometers. of networks globally by 2030, recognizing the need to add or renew an additional 65 million kilometers by 2040.
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The COP29 green energy commitment
The COP hosts said the sponsors are committed to promoting green energy zones and corridors, which would connect sources of abundant green energy generation to the communities most in need through the development of larger intra-regional and inter-regional interconnected power grids.
The COP29 Hydrogen Declaration
Additionally, organizers said sponsors are committed to increasing the production of renewable, clean/zero-emission and low-carbon hydrogen and accelerating the decarbonization of existing hydrogen production from unabated fossil fuels.
They said these aim to significantly increase green hydrogen production from 1 million tonnes annually and reduce the 96 Mt of hydrogen currently produced from unabated fossil fuels.
Conflicts and humanitarian needs through
The COP29 presidency hinted that the Energy theme day also addresses the crucial nexus of climate change by unveiling the “COP Truce Call”.
Organizers said this symbolizes the role of cooperation and peace as indispensable components of global climate action.
“132 countries have joined the call, which has the support of more than a thousand international institutions, representatives of the private sector, civil society organizations and influential public figures,” said the COP29 presidency.
Similarly, the presidency, in collaboration with Egypt, Italy, Germany, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, launched the Baku Call to Climate Action for Peace, Relief and Recovery.
This was described as a landmark initiative aimed at addressing the urgent nexus between climate change, conflict and humanitarian needs.
Day of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digitalization
Science and Technology/Digitalization Day was celebrated at the COP in Baku on Saturday, November 16, and was the first of its kind in the history of COP meetings.
On that day, the COP29 Presidency organized the first Digitalization Day in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) of the UNFCCC, reflecting the fundamental role of technology in addressing the persistent climate crisis.
At a High Level Roundtable on Green Digital Action, the COP29 Green Digital Declaration was announced. It addresses the challenges and opportunities of harnessing technology for climate action, organizers said.
They noted that the Declaration builds on efforts launched at COP28 in Dubai last year by ITU and more than 40 partners.
At the inaugural meeting on digitalization, the COP Presidency launched the COP29 Green Digital Declaration, supported by more than 90 governments and more than 1,000 members of the digital technology community.
The inaugural Digital Day at #COP29Azerbaijan garnered over 1,000 endorsements for the COP29 Green Digital Declaration. [PHOTO CREDIT: @COP29_AZ]According to the COP presidency, the declaration will focus on leveraging digital tools for climate action and using digital technology to boost energy efficiency, improve data-driven decision-making and support sustainable consumption practices.
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It also aims to address the environmental impacts of digitalization by addressing the environmental footprint of digital expansion, including energy consumption, material use, and e-waste from digital infrastructure.
Similarly, it is to promote digital inclusion and accessibility, where parties must ensure that digital solutions are accessible to all, reducing gaps and fostering equitable climate resilience.
This report is published as part of the Center for Innovation and Development of Journalism's COP29 reporting grant.