It’s here. COP29 has opened in Azerbaijan with a speech from UN Climate Change executive secretary Simon Stiell.

Acknowledging that all is not going well, Stiell said “In tough times, up against difficult tasks, I don’t go in for hopes and dreams.”

Which set the tone for a sober discourse, with an emphasis on the need to hold participants to account. Despite the somewhat downbeat start, there was at lease some ray of hope in that, however slowly, the processes in place are working to some degree. As he pointed out, without them the trajectory would be toward five degrees of global warming.

Joining the global to the personal, there was the warning that without further action energy and food bills would increase and there could be further global instability, with the resultant loss of life, Stiell called for a new global climate finance goal.

In particular there was a plea for the developed world to help those countries that cannot afford to cut emissions quickly, and that it is essential to “dispense with the idea that climate finance is charity”. That such a climate finance goal is “entirely in the self-interest of every single nation, including the largest and wealthiest”.

Refocussing on targets there was a reminder that next year countries should be delivering their third generation of national climate plans (NDCs). The UN will be supporting countries in creating and communicating them, the UNFCCC will launch a Climate Plan Campaign to mobilise action from all stakeholders, and align with the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the incoming Brazilian COP Presidency.

Away from the rostrum, hosts Azerbaijan have meanwhile met criticism for reports the country is making deals at COP for developing Caspian Sea gas fields and inadequate climate change plans. Greta Thunberg, for one, has also refused to attend over 'greenwashing' and human rights concerns.

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