University of Georgia School of Law professor Adam Orford attended the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) this year as part of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) in-person delegation, and he spent the event bringing an inside view of the world’s biggest climate-focused event to the public.
The annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Baku, Azerbaijan this year and concluded this past Friday, November 22, after running for nearly two weeks. The event hosts summits of world climate leaders to discuss priorities for environmental policy, finance, relief efforts, technology and more.
“The ABA project involves collaboration with other bar associations to develop the law of climate change worldwide,” Orford said in a LinkedIn announcement ahead of the conference. “I’ll be posting regularly about my experiences this November.”
Orford released a number of explainers ahead of and during COP29, allowing those who could not attend the massive-yet-exclusive event to see what occurs at the highest level of climate action. Check them out below, and keep an eye on Orford’s Medium page for more environmental law reflections.
Definitions
Conference of the Parties: The governing body of an international agreement. In this case, COP29 is held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. These events are held annually, beginning in 1995 in Berlin. These are related to, but not to be confused with, other UN COPs, such as the 16th UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which was held directly before COP29 in Cali, Colombia.
Paris Agreement: This international treaty, negotiated in 2015 at COP20 in Paris, France, sets long-term goals for global temperature and requires signed countries to determine, plan and report actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Preliminaries and Issues to Watch – To begin the series and prepare for COP29, Orford answers some key questions about what the conference is, the goals of the meetings, and key issues that will be discussed. If you read nothing else, this is a good place to start if you’re new to the world of global climate action!
NDCs and National Ambition – In this post, Orford takes a deeper look at the system of “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs) that determine what climate actions a country is responsible for. Parties’ NDCs are required to be updated every 5 years, and the formal deadline for the next update is coming up in February 2025.
The “Finance COP” – This piece explores the international climate finance commitments that form a priority negotiating item at COP29. Orford offers a brief history of the complicated and controversial history of climate finance to explain why this year’s COP is particularly notable for economic negotiations.
Climate Trade Protectionism – This article, published mid-conference, quickly explores an issue that quickly threatened to derail discussions: a brewing argument over trade protectionism, which began with a major agenda change proposed by the “BASIC” countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China).
Darkness and Light – Shortly after the U.S. election on November 5, Orford published this piece on the “elephant in the room”: Donald Trump’s upcoming second term, and what it means for climate policy actions from the United States. The article discusses some action items for responding to such a major political pivot.
Completing the Article 6 Rulebook – The final post published during COP29 explores the Paris Agreement’s “Article 6” framework, which sets the rules for an international carbon credit trading program. COP29’s focus on finance continues with the finalization of the carbon market “rulebook” and how market-based solutions can affect climate change.
Image: Sergei Grits, AP