During COP29, Climate Strategies and our affiliated projects hosted events and sparked conversations on issues like equity, transparency, and the governance of emerging technologies. Here’s a look back at some of the key moments from our participation over the last two weeks:
Advancing the Just Resilience Agenda
One of the defining themes of our engagement at COP29 was the concept of Just Resilience, a framework which aims to place equity at the centre of adaptation action. At our official side event, hosted alongside our partners from the Ministry of Planning and Development of Trinidad and Tobago and the Stockholm Environment Institute, speakers from Trinidad and Tobago, Malawi, South Africa, and India shared perspectives on how equity can be implemented into climate adaptation policies. Key themes included:
- Breaking the Cycle of Inequality: current adaptation policies often overlook marginalised communities, exacerbating existing inequalities. For long-term resilience, adaptation must be fair and context-specific
- Diversity as a Key for Just Resilience: agendas on Just Transitions and Resilience have largely been driven by the Global North. There’s an opportunity to open the space to voices from the Global South and to formally incorporate Indigenous and local knowledge in adaptation measures.
- Practical Lessons from the Ground: case studies presented at the event demonstrated that locally informed adaptation strategies—ones shaped by those most affected by climate impacts—are vital for meaningful progress.
You can access our complete event summary here.
Connecting with Our Member Network
As in previous years, COP29 was a chance to connect with Climate Strategies members at our annual gathering. These meetings provide a space for our members and friends to build our partnerships, share insights from negotiations, and plan collaborative projects.
For those unable to attend this year, we hope to see you next year at COP30 in Brazil. In the meantime, you can acquaint yourself with our fantastic member network here.
ELEVATE at COP29
Our ELEVATE Project was the focus of two events at COP29, addressing climate finance and transparency.
- Equitable Finance for Resilient Development: This session explored the intersection of adaptation, mitigation, and loss & damage finance. Keynote speaker Zinta Zommers highlighted the need for justice-focused pathways, offering insights into integrating equity into climate funding mechanisms.
- Transparency in Net-Zero Targets: In collaboration with the RE-CONNECT project, this session tackled the complexities of setting and tracking net-zero targets under the Paris Agreement. It also addressed the Biennial Transparency Reporting process, which will play a key role in holding countries accountable for their commitments.
For more about the ELEVATE Project, visit our project page.
Co-CREATE: Assessing Governance and Research on Solar Radiation Modification
Solar radiation modification (SRM) is a controversial technology that aims to reflect sunlight to reduce global temperatures, but it raises ethical and governance challenges that cannot be ignored.
At this side event hosted by Perspectives Climate Group, our member and Co-CREATE project coordinator Matthias Honegger, explored the governance gaps surrounding SRM and the importance of including perspectives from the Global South.
- Shifting the Power Dynamics: Most SRM research and decision-making has been concentrated in the Global North. Speakers highlighted the need to build capacity in the Global South to ensure inclusive and equitable governance.
- Weighing the Risks: With the world facing the possibility of a 3°C rise by 2100, SRM is seen by some as a last resort. But panellists emphasised that sidelining conversations on this technology opens the door to unregulated advancements and deployment from private actors, risking greater inequities in climate governance.
Looking Ahead
Limited progress during COP29 negotiations underscored the growing urgency of placing equity and transparency at the heart of mitigation and adaptation efforts. As we turn our focus to COP30 in Brazil, Climate Strategies will continue to advance these conversations, driving research and collaboration that puts justice and inclusion at the forefront of the climate-policy interface.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Baku. We look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead. Be sure to stay connected with our activities on our LinkedIn channel.