COP stands for “Conference of the Parties” and refers to the international meetings held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which facilitates negotiations aimed at limiting dangerous climate change.
The COP serves as the main decision-making body of the UNFCCC, consisting of representatives from all participating countries, known as the “Parties.”
Held annually, the UNFCCC COP provides a platform to negotiate new initiatives and assess the progress of Parties toward the overarching goal of the UNFCCC, particularly regarding the Paris Agreement—a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 Parties at COP21 in Paris in 2015.
The overarching goal of the Paris Agreement is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels”.
To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline by 43% by 2030.
COP29 will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11-22 November 2024.
Why is climate change such a pressing global issue?
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, but since the industrial revolution in the 19th century, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.
The average temperature of the Earth’s surface is now about 1.2°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and warmer than at any time in the last 100,000 years. The last decade (2011-2020) was the warmest on record, and each of the last four decades has been warmer than any previous decade since 1850.
Many people think climate change mainly means warmer temperatures. But this is only the beginning of the story. Because the Earth is a system where everything is connected, changes in one area can influence changes in all others.
The consequences of climate change now include intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity, and climate change can affect our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work.
Scientists agree that limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C would help us avoid the worst climate impacts and maintain a liveable climate. Yet policies currently in place point to a 3°C temperature rise by the end of the century.
Switching energy systems from fossil fuels to renewables like solar or wind [Editor’s note: and cutting out or down on animal agriculture] will reduce the emissions driving climate change. But we have to act now. While a growing number of countries is committing to net zero emissions by 2050, emissions must be cut in half by 2030 to keep warming below 1.5°C, requiring a huge decline in the use of coal, oil and gas.
How is the EU addressing climate change in the Eastern partner countries?
‘Together towards environmental and climate resilience’ is one of the five long-term Eastern Partnership policy objectives beyond 2020. Among others, the EU has pledged to “help partner countries fulfil their nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement and modernise their economies, reducing their carbon footprint and moving towards climate neutrality”.
Under its Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the EaP, the EU aims to:
• strengthen climate policies and green investment.
• help partner countries to implement their nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement.
• scale up climate and green financing targeting municipal infrastructure, sustainable urban transport, the energy sector and SMEs.
• strengthen EU product and eco-innovation policies.
• support improved waste management and increase recycling.
In Armenia, this includes Investing in Green Yerevan under the EIP, supporting energy-efficient solutions to the Armenian capital, such as the delivery of green buses and energy renovation of 51 kindergartens.
In Azerbaijan, the EIP has set a focus on investing in sustainable infrastructure and solutions for green cities, delivering significant energy savings by upgrading more than 80% of street lighting infrastructure in the city of Ganja.
In Georgia, the EU is investing in cleaner air and energy efficiency for 1 million people, while thanks to EU investment, Georgia is now home to the first commercial wind farm in the Caucasus.
In Moldova, the Economic Investment Plan targets the energy-efficient refurbishment of district heating systems in residential buildings in Chisinau and Balti, while 15,700 additional people now have access to safe drinking water thanks to EU support.
In Ukraine, the EU is working through the Ukraine Facility for recovery, reconstruction, and modernization in the face of Russian aggression. Under the Ukraine Facility, at least 20% of overall investments will contribute, to the extent possible in a war-torn country, to climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental protection, including biodiversity conservation, and to the green transition.
In addition, the EU funds a number of regional programs working across the countries of the Eastern Partnership. These include:
• EU4ClimateResilience supporting the green transition and climate resilience.
• EU4Environment Green Economy helping to preserve natural capital and increase people’s well-being.
• EU4Environment Water Resources and Environmental Data supporting a more sustainable use of water resources.
At the same time, European Financial Institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) provide significant support for transition to the green economy by supporting low carbon and climate resilient growth, as well as investing in green infrastructures. The Eastern Europe Environment and Energy Efficiency Partnership (E5P) – a multi-donor trust fund of which the EU is the major donor – facilitates investments for municipal projects that improve energy efficiency and environmental protection. The EU also significantly contributes to the Green for Growth Fund (GGF).
Climate action is also high on the priorities at country level, with EU-funded programs focusing on areas such as air quality, water management and marine pollution, energy efficiency, waste management, tackling pesticides and industrial pollution, and sustainable forest management.
Pick up a copy of next week’s GT to find out how YOU can join the global movement and help the planet.
By the EUneighbourseast Team
