By: Mary Blessing Ahairiirwe
Worth Noting:
- The recent COP was COP28 that took place in United Arab Emirates Dubai last year, 2023 that was aimed at resetting global climate action and ensuring the protection of people and ecosystems. It advocated for climate finance and inclusive climate action especially vulnerable and marginalized communities among others where Loss and Damage fund was operationalized.
- Following COP29 theme this year, it is set to advance the goals of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement specifically on climate finance. Moreso, to amplify calls for stronger commitments, it requires reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions and how to make climate finance available mainly to developing countries to increase efforts to transit to renewable energy to foster the response to climate action.
With the ongoing COP29, the 29th UN annual conference on climate change that commenced on the 11th of November, 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan, we are here to comprehend what COPs are all about and set our demands for a greener, inclusive, just, equitable and gender economy.
“COP” stands for Conference of the Parties and it’s an annual event that brings together the governments that have signed up to environmental action under the United Nations (UN). It is aimed at addressing and tackling international collaboration on climate change and finding reliable and sustainable solutions such as through climate agreements to ensure a climate resilient world. The first COP meeting known as COP1 started in 1995 in Berlin, Germany and since then, it was resolved as an annual event making it the 29th COP this year.
One of its famous agreements adopted in 1997 during COP3 in Kyoto, Japan was the Kyoto protocol. It was committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions so as to slow down and lower climate change. This was done by setting binding targets for industrialized countries and the European Union so as to have these emissions reduced by an average of 5% below 1990 levels.
The recent COP was COP28 that took place in United Arab Emirates Dubai last year, 2023 that was aimed at resetting global climate action and ensuring the protection of people and ecosystems. It advocated for climate finance and inclusive climate action especially vulnerable and marginalized communities among others where Loss and Damage fund was operationalized.
Following COP29 theme this year, it is set to advance the goals of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement specifically on climate finance. Moreso, to amplify calls for stronger commitments, it requires reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions and how to make climate finance available mainly to developing countries to increase efforts to transit to renewable energy to foster the response to climate action.
Basing on some of the key outcomes of COP28, we add a loud voice on those outcomes by setting our demands this year as follows.
Climate finance. There is a strong need and urgent demand for climate finance especially in developing countries. Women led , feminist organization and CBOs have been put in place by different stakeholders whose motive aligns with climate justice but these organizations still lack enough funds to advocate for climate action through equipping the marginalized women with hands on skills to cope with climate change impacts especially in rural communities and hard to reach areas.
Following UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at 60 report on COP29, instead of exacerbating debt burdens to finance climate change, the new financing regime should help expand the fiscal space of developing countries. It goes a mile to indicate that if developing countries become increasingly indebted, weighed down by lack of avenues to suitable finance to deliver climate priorities and with the new goal that seeks to raise climate finance provisions from developed to developing countries well above the current target of $100 billion, the New Collective Qualitative Goal (NCQG) will have done little to address the shortcomings of the $100 billion commitment. We all must advocate for climate finance.
Inclusive Action. During this COP29, we are echoing a voice to demand for inclusion of marginalized women, youth and indigenous communities in climate finance, decision making and other climate actions. Women in our communities are more affected by climate change as opposed to their male counterparts yet often sidelined during budgeting processes and most actions regarding climate. We join all vulnerable and marginalized women all over the world especially in hard to reach areas to demand for inclusivity in climate actions.
Emission Reduction. We stand for a cause to demand for investment in renewable energy that is outstanding in reducing these greenhouse emissions. This can be achieved through direct allocation of funds to support and maintain renewable energy projects. This not only creates a more reliable and sustainable environment but also creates employment opportunities and generates revenue to the economy.
As Women for Green Economy Movement (WoGEM) Uganda we call upon Global leaders, Africa Negotiators, observers, Government officials Private and Public sectors who are at COP to strongly advocate for Actions, and to make sure that the Global North countries are fulfilling their promises to achieve the reduction of carbon gas emissions and promotion of climate and gender justice. As the slogan for this COP29 “In Solidarity for a Green World “states, a climate resilient world is what we deserve.
Mary Blessing Ahairiirwe
Volunteer
Women for Green Economy Movement (WoGEM) Uganda.
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