Baku unveils action agenda even as differences persist

New Delhi: Azerbaijan, the host of this year's annual United Nations climate talks, unveiled its presidency's action agenda in a letter to governments on Tuesday, even as differences over providing finance to enable developing countries to embark on ambitious actions to address climate change persist.

In line with Azerbaijan's COP29 presidency view of the importance of finance for continued, faster and deeper efforts to tackle climate change, the action agenda has "a special emphasis on delivering the means of implementation".

The Climate Finance Action Fund, capitalised by voluntary contributions from fossil fuel producing countries and companies and the Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment and Trade to promote climate - and development-positive investment and trade are among the initiatives focusing on financial flows for climate action.

The presidency's action agenda refers to a set of voluntary initiatives curated by the host country in keeping with its vision of outcomes at the annual climate meet. These non-negotiated voluntary initiatives provide a platform to bring together national and sub-national governments, intergovernmental organisations, business and industry, civil society, academia, indigenous people, youth, and private and philanthropic organisations to create an ecosystem that fosters ambitious climate action.

The agenda allows the host country to showcase national initiatives and highlight national and regional priorities and practices to create wider acceptability for undertaking climate action. It also serves the purpose of signalling to government negotiators the extent of the willingness and commitment of different stakeholders to take on measures to deal with climate change.

In his letter to governments, COP29 president-designate and Azerbaijan's minister of ecology and natural resources Mukhtar Babayev said: "These agendas have utilised the convening power of COP and the hosts' respective national capabilities to form coalitions and drive progress. They have confronted the most pressing problems, shone a light on forgotten priorities, and offered unique solutions based on the experiences and perspectives of the host."