GLOBE ACTIVITIES @ COP29
About COP29
“On Earth, in society, people and nature should reign in harmony and consent, otherwise humanity will destroy herself,”
XII-century world-renowned Azerbaijani poet and philosopher, Nizami Ganjavi
The 29th Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as COP29, will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11-22 November 2024, marking the first time the event is hosted in the Caucasus.
Under the theme #InSolidarityForAGreenWorld, COP29 will focus on two core pillars: enhancing ambition and enabling action. The conference aims to foster global cooperation to accelerate climate solutions, with a strong emphasis on increasing commitments and implementing tangible measures to address the climate crisis.
While the Paris Agreement captured global attention, the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework under the Biodiversity Convention and the land restoration agenda of the Desertification Convention are less known but equally critical to prevent further degradation of planetary boundaries. As the world faces the interconnected challenges of the climate and nature crises, global pandemics, geopolitical conflict, and the resulting impacts on food, energy, and water security, it is essential to improve alignment across the three Rio global sustainability frameworks. Furthermore, integrating a risk-informed approach to policy-making, as required by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015), is vital to ensuring resilience and stability. This framework, championed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), underscores the need for coordinated action to address systemic risks.
In alignment with these broader objectives, COP29 has built an agenda that works in harmony across multiple cross-cutting dimensions. Initiatives have been developed to address all climate pillars, engage global, regional, national, and subnational groups, and take a holistic view of sustainable development. The process will be inclusive of all demographics, ensuring that the outcomes reflect the diversity of those involved. All activities will be guided by the principles and goals of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, while also enhancing synergies with the Biodiversity and Desertification Conventions.
As a precursor to COP29, the city of Baku hosted the inaugural Baku Climate Action Week from 30 September to 4 October 2024. This event brought together over 700 participants across more than 30 sessions, marking a significant step in the lead-up to COP29 by engaging stakeholders and catalysing discussions on climate action.
COP29 Presidency Team
The COP29 Presidency Team is made up of the following:
COP29 President-Designate
COP29 Lead Negotiator
Chief Executive Officer of COP29
Chair of COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company and Chief Operating Officer for COP29
Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29
Youth Climate Champion for COP29
COP29 Blue Zone
The COP29 Blue Zone will be located at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. As the official UNFCCC negotiating space, the Blue Zone serves as the venue for formal negotiations among Conference of Parties delegates.
The Olympic Stadium is well-connected via public transportation, including buses and the Baku Metro, and is also accessible by car, with extensive parking facilities available. Please note that only participants with official UNFCCC accreditation will be permitted to enter the Blue Zone.
COP29 Green Zone
The Green Zone provides an informal space for civil society, businesses, media, experts, academics, and other stakeholders to engage with the climate agenda. Unlike the Blue Zone, UNFCCC accreditation is not required for entry. However, participants must obtain tickets, which are available free of charge.
To secure Green Zone tickets, please contact the COP29 ticketing team at ticketing@cop29.az.
For more information on the COP29 Green Zone, click here
For additional details about COP29, click here.
Key COP29 Resources/Documents
Visa Application • Accommodation • Logistics • Medical Services • Catering
Letters to Parties and Constituencies
In line with its ongoing commitment to foster engagement, the COP29 Presidency has continued the practice initiated by the COP28 Presidency, regularly communicating with Parties and Constituencies. These letters serve to outline plans, encourage collaboration, and mobilise action ahead of COP29.
You can access the letters to Parties and Constituencies here.
For UNFCCC communications to Parties and Observer Organizations, please click here.
COP29 Two-Week Agenda and Thematic Days
The following is a non-exhaustive list of high-level events at the ministerial level hosted by the COP29 Presidency- during the two-week agenda as it relates to thematic days and Action Agenda initiatives. The COP29 Presidency will host further events and announce details in due course.
November 11 COP29 Opening
Azerbaijan formally assumes the COP Presidency and the 61st meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies begins, chaired by the SBI and SBSTA chairs.
November 12-13 World Leaders Climate Action Summit
Focus: World leaders will convene and make national statements to demonstrate how they are advancing the Paris Agreement. During this Summit, we will seek to build consensus and momentum around the two pillars of the COP29 Plan to enhance ambition and enable action and demonstrate to all stakeholders that there is clear political will to deliver.
Key moments: We will host leader-level dialogues that will address key topics, including raising ambition for mitigation and adaptation through NDCs, NAPs, and long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies, enabling action with the NCQG and other means of implementation and support, as well as addressing Loss and Damage and fully operationalising the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage. We will also co-host a methane and non-CO 2 Greenhouse Gas summit with the US and China.
November 14 Finance, Investment and Trade
Focus: To meet our climate goals, we need to collectively scale up climate finance whilst ‘greening trade’ – promoting environmental goods and low-carbon technologies. This can create sustainable jobs and ensure that Global South countries have access to the investment and technologies needed to implement long-term climate goals.
Key moments: We will host a high-level meeting on the Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment and Trade (BICFIT), a high-level event to launch the Climate Finance Action Fund, the second Business, Investment and Philanthropy Platform, and a high-level dialogue on catalysing investment for the just transition, including on jobs and skills.
November 15 Energy / Peace, Relief and Recovery
Focus: Energy is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and is a top priority for global climate action. Building on the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake and moving towards implementation, COP29 will provide a space for stakeholders to gather and make collective progress. Climate and peace are deeply inter-connected, as climate events and conflicts can cause human insecurity and forced migration, affecting mostly the vulnerable groups in developing and lower-income countries.
Key moments: We will host a high-level meeting on Green Energy Zones and Corridors, Energy Storage and Grids, and Hydrogen, and launch the associated COP29 Pledges and Declarations. We will host a high-level event for the COP29 Climate and Peace Initiative, alongside others, with the co-leads group to deliver a joint call on the urgency of climate action for peace.
November 16 Science, Technology and Innovation / Digitalisation
Focus: Digital technologies have a key role to support climate action but can also contribute to energy consumption and e-waste. The first-ever Digitalisation Day will promote joint action for a sustainable digital transformation that reaps the benefits of technologies while mitigating their environmental impacts.
Key moments: We will host a high-level roundtable on the role of digitalisation for climate action and launch the associated Declaration.
November 17 Rest Day; No Thematic Programming
The 61st meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies will have concluded and the Azerbaijan COP29 Presidency will be preparing to chair the 6th Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 6).
November 18 Human Development / Children and Youth / Health / Education
Focus: Climate change will require a whole-of-society approach, supported by healthier, better educated, and adequately skilled individuals, in particular youth. The first-ever Human Development Day will take a holistic view of climate change that treats human development, youth, health and education as inter-related issues to be supported, while also addressing each thematic issue as a standalone priority.
Key moments: We will host a series of high-level meetings and events on investing in human development, health and jobs, where we will launch the Baku Initiative on Human Development for Climate Resilience.
November 19 Food, Water and Agriculture
Focus: Global warming disrupts the water cycle and threatens food security for people worldwide. At COP29, all stakeholders can come together to build on momentum and commit to coherent and collective action on climate and agriculture issues.
Key moments: We will host a series of high-level meetings and events to launch the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers, and a high-level meeting on reducing methane from organic waste, at which we will launch the associated Declaration.
November 20 Urbanisation / Transport / Tourism
Focus: Addressing the challenges of climate change in urban environments requires greater engagement across all sectors and levels, from the local to the regional and global. Additionally, the role of transportation in climate agenda will be addressed as a related priority. We will also host the first Tourism Day at a COP to increase attention on how the sector is affected and can contribute.
Key moments: We will host a high-level meeting on urbanisation and high-level roundtables on green construction, transport and infrastructure, nature, health and resilience in cities, and financing urban climate action and will launch the COP29 MAP Declaration for Resilient and Healthy Cities. We will also host a high-level meeting on tourism and launch the COP29 Declaration on Enhanced Action in Tourism.
November 21 Indigenous Peoples / Gender Equality / Nature and Biodiversity / Oceans and Coastal Zones
Focus: Indigenous Peoples preserve 80% of the world’s biodiversity and 36% of intact forest landscapes, whilst women-led climate action and nature-based solutions represent transformative pathways for climate mitigation and adaptation. Water is also essential to the well-being of both human societies and nature and biodiversity.
Key moments: We will host a high-level event on gender in transparency, a high-level meeting on water to launch the COP29 Declaration on Water for Climate Action.
November 22 Final Negotiations
No thematic programming to allow Parties to focus on the final stages of the negotiations.
