This time the COP-29 climate conference is going to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Many things are going to be special in this summit. If seen, this time India’s emphasis will be on strong climate finance, accountability and protection of vulnerable communities affected by climate change, while Afghanistan is going to participate in this conference for the first time under the rule of Taliban.

India’s emphasis at the COP-29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan will be on strong climate finance, accountability and protection of vulnerable communities affected by climate change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the conference and this time Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav may also be absent. Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirtivardhan Singh will lead a 19-member delegation from India. India’s keynote address at the conference is scheduled for November 18-19.

India’s three main priorities
India’s three main priorities at the conference will be accountability in climate finance, protection of vulnerable communities and equitable energy transition. Under the first priority, India will urge developed countries to fulfill their financial promises. This money is necessary to help developing countries deal with climate change. Under the second priority, the country will put forth its point at the conference on increasing security for those who are most affected by the impact of climate change.

Arunabh Ghosh gave information
Under the third priority, the country will try to make a balanced clean energy transition keeping in mind economic development. Dr. Arunabh Ghosh, Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), said that going beyond the promises in COP-29, the biggest historical polluter developed countries should rapidly reduce their emissions and provide continuous and effective financial assistance to weaker countries. He said that many promises were made in COP-28, but it exempted developed countries. COP-29 should be about accountability.

India will not set up a pavilion in COP-29 this time

Unlike previous years, India has decided not to set up its pavilion in COP-29. Usually the pavilion is a place where countries display their climate related efforts, policies and projects. Here countries can discuss, organize exhibitions and programs on their climate strategies.

At the same time, India’s decision not to set up a pavilion in this case points to many things. This may be a budget-related decision, or India may want to focus more on multilateral participation in COP-29, rather than showcasing its achievements separately. Apart from this, India may possibly choose to participate in other international pavilions instead of its own pavilion. This decision also indicates that India will have to balance climate action with its economic development and energy needs.

Whether emissions are under the Paris Agreement or not

A major issue of this year’s talks will be the new Collective Quantitative Target (NCQG) for climate finance. This can be in trillion dollars annually. Many developing countries argue that this level of funding is necessary for developing countries to effectively combat climate change. The release of the Global Carbon Budget on November 13 at the conference will provide information on the extent to which current emissions are matching the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Concerns increased due to Trump’s victory
Kenya’s climate change envoy Ali Mohammed said that African countries need such financing that does not increase their debt burden. Instead, support is needed for agriculture, water, health and infrastructure. Dr. Francis Callan of the Center for American Progress said that due to the recent re-election of Donald Trump, policies supporting fossil fuels may come in the US. This has increased the pressure on other countries to increase their resolve for the climate.

Policy expert Linda gave information

EU climate policy expert Linda Kalcher stressed that Europe should maintain strong support for climate finance, especially in view of possible policy changes in the US. Li Shuo of the Asia Society Policy Institute called COP-29 a test of global cooperation. He hopes that China and the European Union will take the lead in climate action in terms of financial commitments and losses and its funding.

For the first time, a Taliban delegation will also participate

After taking over the regime in Afghanistan in 2021, the delegation of the Taliban government will participate in the COP conference for the first time. Afghanistan is also being included in the conference to be held in Baku. However, the Taliban regime has not yet received world recognition.

Afghanistan government gave information
The Afghanistan government’s Environmental Protection Agency said in a post on social media that a technical delegation of the government has gone to Baku to participate in the conference. Matiul Haq Khalis, the head of the agency, said, this delegation will use the conference to increase cooperation with the international community on climate protection matters, present Afghanistan’s needs and discuss Afghanistan’s access to finance related to climate change.