COP29 in Baku: The Commonwealth's vision for greener future

The Commonwealth website recently featured an article titled "Working for a Greener World – The Commonwealth Secretariat at COP29," highlighting the organisation's involvement in the climate conference in Baku. We are pleased to share this insightful piece with Caliber.Az readers.

Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, points like a finger into the Caspian Sea. Today, as the world's climate negotiators, advocates and activists descend on the city for the UNFCCC's 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), this finger also points to a greener world - but only if we stand in solidarity with nature and each other.

It is a marvellous city. It cannot be denied. Along the boardwalk, facing away from the dark, choppy waters, gardens of flowers, ancient trees, and cacti greet you. Little choo-choo trains, popcorn stands, and candyfloss cartoon art leave you with a child-like wonder. Why do we not hear more of Azerbaijan?

Between the old town and the new modern squares in Central Baku, rapid buses and e-taxis – now dressed in green COP29 colours – speed hurriedly along broad highways and narrow alleys. In the busy restaurants, which are very busy now but not necessarily out of pattern for this city, you hear words like adaptation, transition, and 'biennial transparency reports' or 'BTRs'. 

For the next few weeks, these phrases will be as local to Azerbaijan as lentil soup and pomegranate wine. The world has come to Baku, including the Commonwealth. 

This morning, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, opened the Commonwealth Secretariat's fourth COP Pavilion – an institution since Glasgow's COP26. Here, for the next two weeks, Commonwealth Heads of Government and senior officials, climate finance practitioners, women in climate, youth leaders, energy experts and blue economy activists will participate in more than 20 Commonwealth events being staged with partner organisations and member countries. The stage is set, and the office coffee machine is in full gear. 

On a balcony in the Old Town, there are lots of discussions about the weeks ahead. A negotiator from the Oman delegation shares that people are too cynical too soon. She says:

"This year will be different – we'll see – because we will all be working on transparency. This year is the first time that the parties will submit reports in the Enhanced Transparency Framework, and experts who are the very best will go through all these reports. We will be negotiating around the expectations, and I am excited to see how this plays out".  

The Enhanced Transparency Framework is the tool where the Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) will be submitted. These will be the first glimpse at countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the progress they have made – or not. Countries will then have 100 days to amend their BTRs once feedback comes in from expert analysis.    

Not far from the city centre is a small office along a nondescript street, with huge green letters where COP29 volunteers gather before they are deployed. Hundreds of excited young men and women in light green fleecy jackets pile onto COP29-branded buses. 

The volunteers then line the entrance to the Blue and Green zones in the Baku Stadium, where COP29 is being held. They are friendly and helpful – always ready to quickly check with a supervisor if they are unsure. And almost always, the answer is 'Yes, you can'. 

Their first delegates today are the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) advisers, who work hand-in-hand with governments to help them access climate finance. They left their hotel before the breakfast buffet opened, eager to meet, plan and work. This CCFAH team, and those who came before them, have unlocked more than US$366 million in climate finance in the past nine years and worked with their counterparts in member countries to develop a pipeline of US$500 million. 

At this COP, they will begin to commemorate ten years of hard work, helping some of the Commonwealth's most vulnerable countries fight back against the climate crisis and extreme weather events.

It has been a long first day. The President of the United Arab Emirates, HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who served as the COP28 President, has handed over the enormous responsibility to HE President Mukhtar Babayev from Azerbaijan. COP29 is officially open.

Elsewhere, at a local Turkish sand coffee kiosk, the barista asks where everyone is from. Then, questions if they are here for COP before bidding them a warm welcome. Now, the world waits to see what lies ahead.

By Tamilla Hasanova