Alarm as Cop29 first day overshadowed by Trump

The United Nations’ Cop29 climate summit kickstarted yesterday amid stark warnings about the deteriorating state of the planet and an undercurrent of anxiety over Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

- STUTI MISHRA

Thousands of diplomats, scientists and leaders arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, to negotiate the thorniest topic of climate negotiations: money needed to deal with climate crisis.

Amid what’s already a herculean task, to raise over a trillion dollars in finance for the developing world to prepare and mitigate climate crisis, the anxiety over US elections was rife at the summit.

Within hours of the opening ceremony, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) delivered a report that said what many others have been warning: this year is going to beat last year as the hottest on record.

It’s hardly surprising given that 2024 has seen some of the biggest disasters on record, from the unprecedented scale of wildfires to devastating floods across Asia and Europe.

But the considerably worsened state of the planet was overshadowed by the fears of a second presidency of Donald Trump in the United States, which took centre stage in all discussions.

Trump fears loom large over Cop29

Mr Trump’s campaign team has indicated the president-elect would withdraw the US – the world’s second biggest polluter – out of the landmark Paris Agreement, which he also did during his last term.

There were concerns at the summit about what any US commitments announced here in Baku would mean at a time when the next administration is very likely to reverse it.

Dean Bhekumuzi Bhebhe, of Power Shift Africa, said this summit is the “test for rich countries” to see how serious they really are in the fight against climate crisis.

“At Cop29, Africa needs leaders who recognise climate finance not as charity, but as a responsibility rooted in historic accountability,” he said, adding that any US backtrack under Mr Trump could have a “devastating” ripple effect for Africa.