COP29 Climate Talks: Major Emitters Must Right ‘colossal Injustice’ On Island Nations, Says UN Chief

Thursday, 14 November 2024, 7:25 am
Press Release: UN News

13 November 2024

COP29 talks in Baku on Wednesday
turned to small island nations facing an existential threat
from our warming planet, as UN Secretary-General António
Guterres insisted that they “deserve support to deal with
a crisis [that they] have done next to nothing to
create”.

“You
have every right to be angry, and I am too. You are on
the sharp end of a colossal injustice. An injustice that
sees the very future of your islands threatened by rising
seas; your people pounded by record hurricanes; your
economies torn apart,” Mr. Guterres said.

Addressing
the COP29
Small Island Developing States Summit, one of several
high-level events in which he is participating today,
the Secretary-General emphasized that the injustice facing
these nations is being “perpetrated by the
few”.

Indeed, G20 countries account for around 80
per cent of global emissions, he said, as he called for this
injustice to end.

‘The world must follow
you’

“Your nations – the Small
Island Developing States – are demonstrating what
climate ambition looks like. You are the first responders.
The world must follow you. And it must support you,”
argued the UN chief, as he set out three
priorities:

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First: sparing no
effort to keep the 1.5 C target alive, with the biggest
emitters – the G20 – in the lead. That means global
emissions falling by nine per cent a year to 2030. It means
phasing out fossil fuels – fast and fairly – and
delivering on the COP28
outcome. And it means every country putting forward new,
economy-wide national
climate action plans – or NDCs – by COP30, that
align with the 1.5 C
objective.

Second: following a
path towards justice to deliver support to assist small
island nations to deal with climate shocks. This means
ensuring significant contributions to the Loss
and Damage Fund – so that it can have a meaningful
impact in places devastated by climate
change.

Third: carrying out
the aims of Pact
for the Future – adopted by consensus in the UN
General Assembly at a summit
this past September – which calls for reform of the
international financial architecture, including effective
debt relief and commits countries to advancing a Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) Stimulus of $500 billion a
year.

‘Demand your justice’

“We must
push for implementation of these commitments. Starting here
and now,” Mr. Guterres said, as he called for a new
climate finance goal to be agreed at COP29 that considers
the situation of Small Island Developing States and allows
the mobilization of the trillions of dollars of finance that
developing countries need – with a significant increase in
concessional public funds.

“That goal must provide
clarity on how money will be mobilized; tap innovative
sources, such as levies on aviation, shipping and fossil
fuel extraction; and include an accessibility, transparency
and accountability framework to build confidence that funds
will be delivered and available,” he
explained.

Speaking directly to small island leaders,
the Secretary-General said: “At this COP and beyond, I
urge you: Use your moral authority to demand action. Demand
leadership. And demand your
justice.”

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