Dr Najma Mohamed, Head of Nature-based Solutions, and Dr Shena García Rangel, Deputy Head of Nature Economy, share their impressions from the event, and what it means for nature and the climate

Two recent reports underline the fact that the world is not doing nearly enough to combat the climate crisis, which is also the fastest growing threat to biodiversity. These new reports provide the backdrop to critical negotiations here in Baku, where we arrived last week for the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). With a busy agenda, we are supporting governments and other stakeholders on key issues related to the linkages between nature and climate.

The 2024 Emissions Gap Report, published by UNEP in October, stresses that without urgent action on emissions reduction, we will not meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. In fact, the evidence shows that if current policies alone were to be implemented, the outcome would be a catastrophic increase of up to 3.1°C – while the current ambition is to limit it to 1.5°C to avoid dangerous climate change. These findings echo those of the global stocktake, which took place for the first time in 2023 and found that the window of opportunity for action is narrowing.

Governments around the world are in the process of updating their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in preparation for the February 2025 deadline for submission of NDCs 3.0. As required under the Paris Agreement, NDCs set out the measures or efforts – including targets – that each country is putting in place to combat climate change. Much stronger and more ambitious commitments are essential to deliver the emissions cuts needed to stay within the 1.5°C target. In preparing their NDCs, countries are encouraged to incorporate the outcomes of the global stocktake. The Emissions Gap Report offers further guidance, exhorting countries to provide “details on the means of implementation they need” and “describe mechanisms for review and accountability” to help ensure progress.

Meanwhile, as climate impacts continue to increase, it is becoming ever more clear that adaptation efforts, another component of NDCs, urgently need to be scaled up considerably in line with the Global Goal on Adaptation. The 2024 Adaptation Gap Report documents progress in adaptation planning, finance and action worldwide, but despite an upward trend highlights an estimated shortfall in international finance flows to developing countries of around US$187-359 billion per year. The report also shows that many existing adaptation projects will not achieve the adaptation outcomes required due to issues such as lack of clear baselines, technical complexities and poor implementation structures. These issues are closely interlinked: failure to deliver on emissions commitments will only increase the cost of adaptation going forward.

Both reports highlight the critical role that nature has to play, and the growing attention it is receiving in national policies and commitments to address climate change. The Emissions Gap Report highlights the contribution that actions linked to forests can make to emissions reduction. Nature-based solutions such as these are included in 116 current NDCs. The Adaptation Gap report also flags the importance of nature. One of the seven thematic targets of the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience is ‘Ecosystems and biodiversity’ and 93% of National Adaptation Plans include adaptation priorities addressing this.  

A focus on finance

Many refer to COP29 as the ‘finance COP’, and with good reason; the question of mobilising finance has been high on the agenda for delegates throughout the meeting.

We expect that the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance will include an ambitious commitment to bridge the climate finance gap and protect countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This goal will replace the previous aim of mobilising USD 100 billion of climate finance, which was met for the first time in 2022. Much hinges on the NCQG negotiations – including ambition and implementation of NDCs 3.0, discussions around technology and transparency, and the crucial topic of climate adaptation. Many are suggesting that the figure (or ‘quantum’) will need to be in the trillions, and there is a key discussion on the scope of contributors to this new finance goal.

A key issue raised across many discussions is the importance of ensuring that climate finance also delivers nature outcomes and a just transition, as delegates have emphasised the need to recognise synergies between the multiple crises faced by the world today. However, progress has been slow and whilst there is a clear desire for increased collaboration and swifter, more decisive financial pledges, this is yet to materialise. The arrival of ministers in week two of the COP is providing a renewed impetus to the negotiations.

Building connections and sharing knowledge on nature and climate

Our focus in Baku is to highlight synergies between the climate and nature agendas on topics related to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to climate change, energy transition, sustainable and resilient cities and infrastructure and finance. During the first week, Shena contributed to a dialogue on ‘Operationalizing Multilevel Policy Coherence for Targeted Climate Action’, which explored the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement for successful climate action. On Monday, we co-hosted an event, ‘Nature-Positive Infrastructure for Climate Resilience’. This panel discussion, which was moderated by Najma, examined how a nature-positive approach can deliver mitigation outcomes with societal and nature co-benefits.

Policy coherence has been another important focus at COP29, as this is a factor that is essential for implementation of the Paris Agreement. It’s clear that cross-cutting action is key: the causes and consequences of the climate and biodiversity crises are deeply intertwined and cannot be tackled effectively in isolation. It is vital that we continue to bring these strands together, and UNEP-WCMC is committed to facilitating this through collaboration with a diverse range of partners and stakeholders. COP29 provides many opportunities to strengthen existing partnerships and build new connections in favour of these synergies.

Seeking practical, nature-based solutions

A number of countries have now published their updated NDCs with targets for 2035, and there are some positive trends in ambition. For example, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell praised Brazil’s new NDC, which was submitted towards the start of COP29: “Brazil’s plan covers all sectors of the economy and all greenhouse gases, has real reduction targets, and embeds what we agreed last year at COP28. It also sends a strong signal to all nations here at COP29, where we also saw the UK… announce a new target of cutting emissions 81% by 2035, for its new NDC.”

These are welcome developments that provide momentum as more countries finalise their commitments in NDCs. The Emissions Gap Report shows that there are cost-effective and readily available mitigation options with proven potential for emission reduction. Halting deforestation and improving forest management are two nature-based solutions highlighted by the report which could help reduce emissions significantly.

Beyond mitigation, integration of nature-based solutions for adaptation and climate resilience planning within national climate plans is growing, but implementation and resources to support it are urgently needed. UNEP-WCMC supports governments in developing their National Adaptation Plans to integrate nature-based solutions and helps to build evidence and capacity to support implementation of these.

More ambition is needed to address the climate crisis, but ambition is the easy part. Delivering on this ambition is what counts, and that will only be realised through urgent action and scaling up finance, both public and private, and for both people and nature.

Main image: Shena García Rangel