EU Commits to Continued Climate Finance Support Ahead of COP29 Summit in Azerbaijan

EU finance ministers have committed to maintaining their share of the $100 billion global climate fund and are calling for increased contributions from other nations

As COP29 approaches in Baku, Azerbaijan, the European Union reaffirmed its commitment to funding climate action in developing nations. EU finance ministers vowed to uphold their share of the $100 billion climate fund and push for more contributions.

Ministers expressed concern over the worsening climate crisis, with 2023 recorded as the hottest year ever, seeing global temperatures 1.45°C above pre-industrial levels, along with record-breaking ocean heat, rising sea levels, and shrinking glaciers.

As part of the Paris Agreement, developed nations—including EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan, the US, and others—had pledged to raise annual climate finance to $100 billion by 2020. They only met this target in 2022, two years after the deadline, reaching $116 billion, with the EU contributing a significant share.

However, the focus now shifts to the post-2025 climate finance framework, known as the 'new collective quantified goal on climate finance.' This is expected to be a major topic of discussion at COP29, with some nations, including the EU, pushing for broader financial contributions, particularly from major economies like China.

Environmental groups, such as Greenpeace, criticized European governments for not holding the fossil fuel industry accountable for its role in the climate crisis. Greenpeace also highlighted that developing countries require approximately $1 trillion annually in financial assistance to cope with climate change impacts. The group urged EU negotiators to advocate for higher climate finance and tax major polluters at the Baku summit.

The EU’s final position for COP29 will be determined at a meeting on 14 October.

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