The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, took place in Azerbaijan with nearly 50,000 attendees from 200 countries present. The main goal of the conference was to secure a critical deal on climate finance to support mitigation efforts around the world. A draft deal released at the conference pledged $250 billion annually by 2035 from wealthy countries to poorer ones, but developing nations are seeking $1 trillion a year by the end of the decade. The conference was overshadowed by the absence of many world leaders, including President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Experts are calling for a new approach to climate change, as extreme weather events become more frequent and temperatures rise globally. The conference highlighted the divide between nations regarding who should foot the bill for climate mitigation efforts. Nations heavily affected by climate change but not major emitters themselves are frustrated with major polluting countries they see as shirking responsibility.
Despite the absence of many world leaders, the conference also welcomed first-time attendees from Afghanistan, including representatives from the Taliban-led government. Afghanistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change and faces challenges in addressing climate adaptation due to decades of war and instability. The conference highlighted the urgent need for global cooperation to address the impacts of climate change and secure the necessary funding for mitigation and adaptation efforts.
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