By Jeff Kapembwa
The much heralded COP 29 opened in the Azerbaijan capital, Baku, with that country’s leader, Mukhtar Babayev, boasting about the country’s endowed fossil fuels, a reagent to climate change. However, the United Nations gnashes its teeth over the delayed action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The United Nations, one of the key campaigners of climate change, regrets the lack of action to reverse emission of GreenHouse Gases (GHGs) by the major polluters, United States, China, India, among others.

The UN seeks sustained lobby by all players to ensure global emissions are cut by nine per cent every year, arguing”: “The sound you hear is the ticking clock”.

Addressing the delegates at the World Leaders Climate Action Summit at COP29, Tuesday, Secretary General, Antonio Guterres warned perpetuators against their uncouth actions arguing that the world was in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and that ‘time is not on our side’.

Regrettably, the world’s environment has been extensively distorted with the hottest day on record …the hottest months on record, hinting that this is almost certain to be the hottest year on record, a call for action to save humanity, citing various calamities recorded globally.

“Families running for their lives before the next hurricane strikes; Biodiversity destroyed in sweltering seas; Workers and pilgrims collapsing in insufferable heat; Floods tearing through communities, and tearing down infrastructure; Children going to bed hungry as droughts ravage crops”

Apparently, he argues, such disasters, and more, are being supercharged by human-made climate change, leaving no country spared from the crisis that has reversed economic gains for various countries, chiefly the Least Developed that have to rely on handouts from the rich while grappling with unsustainable debt.

The global economy has not been spared, supply chain shocks raise costs – everywhere. Decimated harvests push up food prices – everywhere.

Destroyed homes increase insurance premiums – everywhere, coupled with avoidable injustice as the rich wallow in riches at the expense of the have-nots.

“The rich cause the problem, the poor pay the highest price.” noted Guterres. While delegates at last year’s COP28, all agreed to move away from fossil fuels, some countries, including Azerbaijan still cherish over the abundant fossil fuels at their disposal and there is need to rethink by perpetuators.

Guterres, sustains UN’s advocacy to reduce emissions and adaptation soars, every economy will face far greater fury. All is not lost to boost climate change adaptation however, notes Guterres if all players join hands and “fight the elephant in the room”.

The COP 28 had called for an accelerated move towards applications of the various national climate plans. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are climate action plans that countries create to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

These accelerate and help adapt to climate change and remain vital in reversing the effects of climate crisis and sustain the fight to attain the 1.5-degree limit.

“It’s time to deliver”, Guterres says.

Though funding in most countries remains a challenge, all players should strive to join hands and reverse the loss and damage caused to the environment in LDCs for the benefit of the rich countries.

Guterres regretted that last year – and for the first time – the amount invested in grids and renewables overtook the amount spent on fossil fuels. And almost everywhere, solar and wind are the cheapest sources of electricity, arguing doubling down on fossil fuels is absurd.

Though the clean energy revolution is here, No group, no business, and no government can stop it but lacks fairness among players, argues Guterres: “But you can and must ensure it is fair, and fast enough to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

To limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, we must cut global emissions nine per cent every year – by 2030 they must be down 43 per cent on 2019 levels. Unfortunately, they are still growing at the present moment.

Now at this COP, you must agree to rules for fair, effective carbon markets that support that fight;

The UN argues that more than ever finance promises must be kept. Developed countries must race the clock to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025. Adaptation investments can transform economies, driving progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.

“We need countries’ new climate action plans to set out adaptation financing needs. We need every person on earth to be protected by an alert system by 2027, in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative. And we need climate justice.”

And commenting on the loss and damage fund, Guterres regretted the low responses which had made the dream to counter climate change unfilled, a call for concerted efforts arguing.

He argues, the figure is roughly the annual earnings of the world’s 10 best-paid footballers, and does not account for even a quarter of the damage caused in some countries, Viet Nam by Hurricane Yagi in September, among others.

“We must get serious about the level of finance required,” he said. “I urge countries to commit new finance to the Fund. And to write cheques to match.”  and compensating for loss and damage was a must do.

“In an era of climate extremes, loss and damage finance is a must,” he said. “I urge governments to deliver. In the name of justice.”

Guterres, however, described the creation of the Loss and Damage Fund as “a victory for developing countries, for multilateralism, and for justice,” but stressed that its initial capitalisation of $700 million “doesn’t come close to righting the wrong inflicted on the vulnerable.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a reservoir for scientific information and technical guidance to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Paris Agreement, calls for unrelented action.

In a statement, it regretted the devastation of climate change in various communities across the globe citing extreme temperatures’ communities fighting against devastating fires; flood defenses put to test in some countries, intense rainfall and flooding in the last 12 months, a call for action.

Sadly, it notes, global warming is unequivocally human induced activities’ through emissions of greenhouse gases arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land use change, and lifestyle patterns that remain unchecked by perpetuators.

“This is the new normal. Imagine what is in store in the coming decades, if we do not act swiftly and decisively. With every fraction of a degree of global warming, we face greater threats. Children born today will not know a world without climate change” the statement read.

The IPCC reminded the world to act decisively and now to limit warming to 1.5 °C as demanded under the UNEP Gap report.