Dive Brief:
- The COP29 president-delegate unveiled final texts for nine climate-focused pledges and declarations on Monday that collectively seek to “provide pathways for all global actors to come together” and accelerate climate action.
- The documents, published less than a month before the United Nations’ annual climate summit, offer guidance on setting clear targets, measuring progress and identifying areas for improvement across a range of sectors and industries. Among them, the texts address the need to tackle methane emissions in the agriculture and waste sectors.
- Though these pledges and declarations will not be part of the official negotiations at the summit, they are designed to complement the process, according to a Monday release. Azerbaijan Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev, appointed to preside over COP29 in January, said the documents serve as “vital tools to drive progress on climate action.”
Dive Insight:
The nine pledges and declarations will be formally launched at the COP29 climate change summit, slated to take place Nov. 11-22 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Reducing methane from food or other forms of organic waste has emerged as a major pillar of COP29. The food waste pledge encourages countries to scale solutions “aiming to close cycles, rebuild soils, enhance urban and rural food systems and strengthen the bioeconomy.”
“Given over 50% of municipal solid waste is organic waste that emits methane, and nearly 1/3 of all food produced is lost or wasted each year, this declaration will help to increase ambition in improving waste management,” Martina Otto, head of secretariat of the U.N. Environment Programme-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition, said in a statement.
The final texts also include guidance on creating green energy zones and corridors to boost sustainable investments and infrastructure; leaning on digital technologies to achieve climate goals; promoting collaboration across different levels of governments, sectors and organizations to create “climate-resilient and healthy” cities; and boosting the tourism industry’s role in advancing climate action.
A “COP29 Truce Appeal,” modeled after the Olympic Truce, was also released as part of the nine finalized documents. The truce centers on maintaining a sense of unity and humanity during negotiations next month and overcoming political differences for “efforts to safeguard the planet.” The pledge has garnered support from over 127 countries and nearly 1,100 non-state actors thus far, according to the release.
“The final texts reflect valuable input from a wide range of stakeholders, demonstrating the power of inclusive and transparent processes in addressing the climate crisis,” Babayev said in the release. “They send strong market signals, help direct financial flows, and foster a sense of shared responsibility. I call on all parties and non-state actors to endorse these documents and help build momentum ahead of COP29.”
The publication of the final texts comes shortly after Babayev first outlined these new initiatives and updates on previously set pledges geared at driving climate action in an open letter addressing parties and constituencies last month.
Though the previously unveiled “Action Agenda” announced climate finance funds, investments and trading platforms that promoted sustainability and clean energy, it lacked any direct mention of transitioning away from fossil fuels — a goal outlined in the final COP28 agreement last year.
Sarah Zimmerman contributed to this story.