COP29 President: What we achieved in Baku was not the end, but a new beginning

The informal retreat of UNFCCC negotiation groups in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan, was a key platform for strengthening trust and cooperation ahead of COP30, building on COP29 outcomes and the first Global Stocktake, said COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev.

Speaking at the opening of the Climate Retreat, Babayev said the meeting marked not only a moment of reflection but also a stepping stone towards further action, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

“This time last year, we were intensively preparing for COP29 in Baku,” Babayev said.

“Today, we are gathered not only to evaluate our achievements but also to review the results of COP29 and shift our focus to COP30 in Belém, Brazil.”

Babayev underscored that despite COP29 taking place in the context of geopolitical instability, economic pressures, climate-related disasters, and growing scepticism towards multilateralism, the international community managed to respond collectively and constructively.

One of the major outcomes of COP29 in Baku was the adoption of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, as well as the announcement of the Baku Financial Target — a commitment to mobilise at least $300 billion annually for developing countries until 2035.

“Let me be clear: what we achieved in Baku is not the end, but a new beginning,” Babayev said. “Shamakhi gives us space to reflect, recharge, and focus on the next phase. The priority now is to transform the implementation period into a concrete reality.”

He added that during COP29, the parties tasked the Azerbaijani and Brazilian presidencies with jointly drafting a “Roadmap from Baku to Belém”, setting the course towards a long-term climate finance goal of $1.3 trillion annually by 2035.

Babayev outlined three key priorities for the COP29 presidency going forward:
“First, we must continue to support Brazil’s presidency in shaping a COP that is ambitious, inclusive, and results-driven. We remain engaged across critical areas — from finance and NDCs to resilience and transparency.

Second, we are committed champions of the Roadmap from Baku to Belém. Our objective is to present a clear, practical path to the $1.3 trillion target, in close cooperation with COP30 and all relevant stakeholders.

Third, we must hold ourselves accountable. The pledges made in Baku on adaptation, multilateral funds, and loss and damage must not be forgotten. The integrity of the entire process depends on it.”

He concluded by emphasising that Shamakhi represents more than just a picturesque setting — it symbolises “our shared belief that multilateralism based on diplomacy, trust, and collaboration still works.”

Babayev also extended his gratitude to COP29 Lead Negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev and the UNFCCC Secretariat for their continuous support, noting that recent meetings in Bonn and Seville had reinforced how open dialogue builds trust and advances collective progress.

By Aghakazim Guliyev