On the first day of the UN Climate Change Conference, parties achieved a critical early success by reaching consensus on standards for the creation of carbon credits under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement. This breakthrough will drive climate action by increasing demand for carbon credits and ensuring that the international carbon market operates with integrity under the supervision of the United Nations.
COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev commented on the outcome: "This will be a game-changing tool to direct resources to the developing world. After years of stalemate, the breakthroughs in Baku have now begun. But there is much more to deliver."
The COP29 Presidency identified the full operationalization of Article 6 as a key negotiating priority this year. Finalizing Article 6 negotiations could reduce the cost of implementing national climate plans by $250 billion per year by enabling cross-border cooperation. Today's decision is an essential step toward that goal and establishes strong momentum for continued progress during the two weeks of negotiations.
In his opening address, Mr. Babayev set clear expectations for how global leaders must enhance ambition and enable action during the conference. COP29 represents a critical moment for global leaders to come together and demonstrate their collective commitment to climate action. The summit, running from 11-22 November in Baku, Azerbaijan, has approximately 70,000 delegates registered to attend, including heads of state and government who will participate in the leaders’ segment on 12-13 November.
Mr. Babayev highlighted that current policies put the world on track for catastrophic warming of 3°C, citing the latest UNEP Emissions Gap Report. "We are on a road to ruin," he told delegates. "Whether you see them or not, people are suffering in the shadows. They are dying in the dark. And they need more than compassion, more than prayers and paperwork. They are crying out for leadership and action. COP29 is the unmissable moment that can chart a new path forward for everyone."
To enable action, Mr. Babayev identified agreement on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance as the top negotiating priority for COP29. He noted progress on the structure, access features, transparency arrangements, and timeframe, while acknowledging remaining differences on contributors and the size of the final goal.
"We know the needs are in the trillions," Mr. Babayev said, while acknowledging differences on how to get there. He also noted that a realistic goal for what the public sector can directly provide and mobilize seems to be in the "hundreds of billions." While recognizing the scale of the challenge, he added: "These numbers may sound big, but they are nothing compared to the cost of inaction. These investments pay off."
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell also emphasized the importance of reaching a new global climate finance goal in Baku. "If at least two-thirds of the world's nations cannot afford to cut emissions quickly, then every nation pays a brutal price," he said. "So, let's dispense with any idea that climate finance is charity. An ambitious new climate finance goal is entirely in the self-interest of every nation, including the largest and wealthiest."
To enhance ambition, the COP29 President called for countries to submit 1.5°C-aligned Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce emissions ahead of next year's deadline, submit National Adaptation Plans by 2025 to prepare for a warming world, and deliver their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) this year.
Mr. Babayev made a strong call to action on emissions reductions, noting that "as the world’s highest forum on climate change, COP29 cannot and will not be silent on mitigation." He announced the publication of the summary of the COP29-International Energy Agency high-level dialogues, with its calls to action to achieve a just and orderly transition. "We have put mitigation on the agenda at all meetings ahead of COP so that we can find a way forward," he said. "As a Presidency, we are making every effort to tackle the problem from every direction, without losing focus on our top negotiating priority—the NCQG."
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Babayev stressed that as the first Paris decade comes to a close, COP29 represents a "moment of truth" that "will test our commitment to the multilateral climate system. We must now demonstrate that we are prepared to meet the goals we have set for ourselves." Describing climate action as the "race of our lives," he acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead but noted, "We wouldn’t be setting these expectations unless we believed they were absolutely necessary."
While highlighting how Azerbaijan was rising to the challenge of hosting the talks, Mr. Babayev noted that success would depend on everyone playing their part. "Azerbaijan can build the bridge," he said, "but you all need to walk across it. In fact, you need to start running."