COP29 ends with controversy over climate finance pledges

The 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded in the early hours of November 24, 2024, after marathon negotiations stretched nearly 36 hours beyond the scheduled closure. At the heart of the extended talks was the contentious issue of climate finance, a cornerstone of the climate agenda for developing nations like Pakistan. The outcome-a pledge to mobilize $300 billion annually by 2035 for developing countries-has been hailed as a milestone by some and criticized as ambiguous and inadequate by others. The final gavelled text of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance reaffirmed Article 9 of the Paris Agreement, committing developed nations to lead in mobilizing at least $300 billion annually for climate action in developing countries. This amount is intended to come from a mix of public, private, and alternative funding streams, including bilateral and multilateral mechanisms. Yet, confusion arose hours later when the UNFCCC Secretariat released an official statement presenting a seemingly contradictory narrative. The statement emphasized a tripling of public finance alone, from the previous $100 billion annual target to $300 billion annually by 2035. Adding to the ambiguity, the document also referenced a much larger figure: the scaling up of combined public and private climate finance to $1.3 trillion annually. The lack of clarity about these parallel goals-whether they complement or contradict each other-has sparked criticism, particularly from developing countries that view such discrepancies as undermining trust in the process. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); For Pakistan, these developments highlight a familiar sense of being caught in a game of shifting goalposts. With an estimated $348 billion needed by 2030 for adaptation and decarbonization, the country remains reliant on timely and predictable financial flows to meet its climate ambitions. But the fragmented nature of current climate finance mechanisms and vague commitments from developed nations make it difficult to chart a clear path forward. As the dust settles on COP29, one thing is clear: the global community has reached a critical juncture. While the NCQG pledges represent progress, the numbers still fall short of the scale of the climate crisis. The developing world’s call for $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance reflects the true cost of adapting to and mitigating climate impacts. For countries like Pakistan, this funding is not just about meeting emissions targets; it’s about survival in the face of increasingly frequent and devastating climate disasters. In this context, the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund offers some hope but also exposes stark funding gaps. Established at COP28, the fund is now ready to begin financing projects by 2025, following agreements with the World Bank and the Republic of the Philippines to manage and host the fund, respectively. Yet, contributions remain woefully inadequate. Despite initial pledges exceeding $700 million at COP28, COP29 saw only an additional $50 million in commitments, bringing the total to around $750 million-a fraction of what is needed to address the scale of losses experienced by countries like Pakistan. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The situation for Pakistan is particularly dire. In 2022, catastrophic floods inflicted damages exceeding $30 billion, affecting millions of lives and livelihoods. While the Loss and Damage Fund marks a victory for climate justice, its current resource pool feels like trying to extinguish a wildfire with a watering can. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has aptly described the fund’s establishment as a “victory for multilateralism,” but emphasized that the real victory will be in scaling up contributions to meet the crisis head-on. Meanwhile, the Article 6.4 carbon credit mechanism finalized at COP29 offers a glimmer of opportunity for developing countries to unlock new financial resources. By setting standards for the generation and trade of carbon credits, this mechanism paves the way for countries like Pakistan to monetize mitigation efforts. Projections suggest that Pakistan could leverage $2 billion to $5 billion from carbon markets by 2030. However, realizing this potential will require swift action to establish a conducive regulatory environment and ensure that revenues benefit the most vulnerable communities. At the same time, the challenges surrounding the NCQG negotiations underscore the gulf between developed and developing nations. While developing countries, led by the G77 and China, have consistently called for a minimum of $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance, developed nations have been reluctant to commit to figures beyond the $300 billion mark. Disagreements over the quantum, sources, and structure of climate finance have slowed progress, with some developed countries advocating for expanded contributor bases to include emerging economies. This shift toward broadening the burden-sharing pool has raised alarms among developing nations, who see it as an attempt to dilute the historical responsibility of industrialized countries. Pakistan, for instance, has been vocal in its insistence that climate finance must be grants-based, not loans, to avoid exacerbating its already precarious debt burden. Despite these challenges, some progress was made in emissions reduction commitments. Brazil announced plans to cut emissions by 59-67% from 2005 levels by 2035 and achieve net-zero by 2050. The UAE raised its target to a 47% reduction by 2035, up from 40% by 2030, while the UK committed to an 81% reduction by 2035, alongside a £22 billion investment in carbon capture and storage technologies. For Pakistan, which contributes less than 1% to global emissions but ranks among the top five most vulnerable countries to climate impacts, the irony is bitter. The country faces the dual challenge of decarbonizing its economy while adapting to increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters. Initiatives like the Delta Blue Carbon project and a national renewable energy target of 60% by 2030 showcase Pakistan’s commitment to sustainability. However, these efforts require significant international support to succeed. The World Bank estimates that Pakistan needs $348 billion by 2030 for adaptation and decarbonization, a figure that dwarfs the current financial flows available through climate finance mechanisms. While the scaling up of public and private finance annually offers hope, the lack of clarity and trust in the system poses significant hurdles. As COP29 concluded, the global community must grapple with the reality that the climate crisis cannot be addressed through piecemeal measures and ambiguous pledges. For countries like Pakistan, the stakes could not be higher. Every delay, every vague commitment, and every shortfall in funding translates into lives lost, communities displaced, and futures destroyed. The road ahead requires bold action and genuine solidarity. The promises made at COP29 must be translated into tangible results that prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable. The time for half-measures is over. Climate justice demands not just words, but deeds that rise to the scale of the challenge. For Pakistan and the developing world, this is not just a call for fairness-it is a fight for survival.