Copenhagen climate ministerial: Bangladesh closely monitoring outcome of meeting

The Copenhagen Climate Ministerial (CCM) is slated to convene on Thursday through Friday.

Like many other climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh is also closely monitoring the outcome of this type of high-level meetings, as it sets the stage for discussions at COP29, reads a press release.

Approximately 30 ministers are expected to participate in plenary sessions and specialised discussions covering pivotal topics such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), financial strategies, adaptation efforts, addressing loss and damage, and mitigation measures.

This critical assembly marks the first high-level gathering of climate ministers since the conclusion of COP28.

These meetings are called the foundation of future climate summits, which set the directives and provide insight into what extent industrial countries are willing to let go, said the media release.

The key highlights of this event will be insights from the recently established "COP Presidencies Troika", consisting of the COP28, COP29, and COP30 presidencies, represented by the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, and Brazil, respectively.

The meeting will be presided over by COP28 President Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, alongside incoming COP29 President-designate Mukhtar Babayev and Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jørgensen.

The Copenhagen Climate Ministerial stands as a crucial platform for international cooperation and decisive action in the face of escalating climate challenges, as nations strive to chart a sustainable and resilient future for all. With COP29 looming, experts anticipate pivotal discussions at the upcoming climate summit in Baku.

The discussions at COP28 underscored a global commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels, with a pledge to triple renewable energy sources and double energy efficiency. 

However, the latest assessment from the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed a concerning trend, indicating that CO2 emissions surged to a new record high of 37.4 Gt in 2023, but the rise in clean energy is limiting its growth. Countries agreed at COP28 to publish their 2035 NDCs 9-12 months before COP30 (meaning February 2025 at the latest). 

These submissions to the UNFCCC are expected to reflect the outcome of the Global Stocktake (GST), be economy wide and cover all GHGs, sectors and categories. In a speech last week UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell called the next generation of NDCs the most important climate documents produced so far this century. 

This year's COP aims to establish a new post-2025 climate finance deal, reaching an agreement on this "New Collective Quantified Goal" (NCQG) will be a key critical test for success in Baku, after developed nations fell short of mobilizing $100 billion annually by 2020 for climate action in developing countries. According to the latest OECD assessment, developed countries mobilized and delivered $89.6 billion in 2021. The G20's call for an additional $4 trillion annually until 2030 underscores the urgency.

Also, countries are expected to reveal their 2035 NDCs ahead of COP30, reflecting outcomes of the Global Stocktake (GST).

These submissions are deemed the century's most critical climate documents, shaping future action. Stakeholders anticipate substantive outcomes from COP29, driving progress toward a sustainable future. Efforts to streamline adaptation policies include integrating the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) into the UNFCCC's permanent agenda, unifying various initiatives.

This would cover the Adaptation fund, National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and the adaptation committee.

European Union's Concito Program director Jens Mattias Clausen said, "The CCM is the first key diplomatic moment since COP28 in Dubai. It needs to set the stage for Baku and a high ambition outcome at COP29. Ministers need to find common ground on the architecture of the new climate finance goal which must provide confidence to vulnerable countries that they will get the help they need to adapt to the changing climate. 

"We also need to see signals from countries about how they intend to submit robust national climate plans. Ministers gathering in Copenhagen have an opportunity to lay the foundation for the year ahead in crucial climate talks."