Azerbaijan, hosting COP29, urged nations to bridge differences and finalise a financial deal to help poorer countries combat climate change. As the summit nears its end, divisions remain over funding commitments and the role of the US.
Azerbaijan, host of the COP29 climate summit, urged participating countries on Friday to resolve their differences and reach a financial agreement as the two-week conference neared its conclusion.
Governments gathered in the Caspian Sea city of Baku are working towards a comprehensive deal that would see wealthy nations pledge to provide billions of dollars annually to assist poorer countries in addressing the escalating effects of climate change. Economists suggest that developing nations need at least $1 trillion each year by the end of the decade, but wealthier countries have yet to agree. The talks have also been complicated by uncertainty over the role of the United States, the world's largest historical greenhouse gas emitter, ahead of climate sceptic President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House.
"We encourage parties to continue to collaborate within and across groups with the aim of proposing bridging proposals that will help us to finalise our work here in Baku," said the COP29 presidency in a note to delegates on Friday morning. It added that a new draft deal would be released at midday in Baku, with hopes for a resolution by the end of the day.
Past COPs have typically run over time, and divisions within the negotiations have already become evident. A new draft deal released on Thursday presented two vastly different options, neither of which satisfied all parties. While the 10-page document was shortened to less than half the size of previous drafts, it still left key questions unresolved, such as the total amount of funding countries should commit to each year, with that space marked simply with an "X." It also highlighted divisions over whether funds should be given as grants or loans, and the extent to which different forms of non-public finance should count towards the final annual target.
"I hope they find the sweet spot with this next iteration," said Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society, a long-time observer of COP summits. "Anything other than that may require rescheduling flights."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres returned to Baku from a G20 meeting in Brazil on Thursday, urging a major push for a deal and warning that "failure is not an option."
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The Academy Awards nominations have been announced, with the crime drama Sinners leading the race securing a record 16 nominations ahead of the ceremony set for 15 March. The event, which honours the film industry’s top achievements over the past year, will be hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien.
A widening conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has triggered escalating military strikes across the Middle East, disrupted shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and raised concerns over global energy supplies. This live report tracks the latest developments.
Two Indian-flagged tankers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, carrying 92,700 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), are en route to India despite disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, the Indian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday (14 March).
A long-running investigation has suggested that the street artist known as Banksy may be legally named David Jones. A report indicates that Jones was previously known as Robin Gunningham, a name long associated with Banksy, before legally changing his name several years ago.
Israel and Iran continued to exchange strikes on Friday (13 March), as the U.S. and French militaries reported deaths in Iraq, and the U.N. launched a $325 million appeal to help Lebanon, where a seventh of the population have left their homes since fighting began.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued veiled threats to Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and Hezbollah on Thursday (12 March), during his first press conference since the conflict with Iran began.
A long-running investigation has suggested that the street artist known as Banksy may be legally named David Jones. A report indicates that Jones was previously known as Robin Gunningham, a name long associated with Banksy, before legally changing his name several years ago.
A widening conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has triggered escalating military strikes across the Middle East, disrupted shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and raised concerns over global energy supplies. This live report tracks the latest developments.
Ayman Ghazali, a 41-year-old U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, crashed his truck into the hallway of a Detroit-area synagogue on Thursday (12 March) while children attended preschool. Security personnel shot him dead during the confrontation, and authorities said no one else was seriously injured.
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The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (12 February) announced the repeal of a scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, and eliminated federal tailpipe emissions standards for cars and trucks.
Tropical Cyclone Gezani has killed at least 31 people and left four others missing after tearing through eastern Madagascar, the government said on Wednesday, with the island nation’s second-largest city bearing the brunt of the destruction.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
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