This year, we were honored to participate as official observers at COP29, the UN climate conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan. With observer badges in hand, our dedicated team of core volunteers represented our community’s vision for building inclusive, equitable, and sustainable jobs of the future.
Why Focus on Finance at COP29?
Dubbed the “Finance COP,” COP29 served as a critical negotiation process for determining how much—and through what means (i.e. grants vs loans vs private finance)—the Global North will support climate action in the Global South. Under the Paris Agreement, this funding is intended to help vulnerable countries in the Global South adapt to climate change impacts, pay for loss and damage, and transition away from fossil fuels and towards a low-emissions economy.
Advocates from Global South nations entered the conference calling for $1.3 trillion USD in climate finance for developing countries—an essential figure to fund transition. Over two weeks, negotiators slowly worked through draft texts to come to a consensus over a global climate finance deal.
*first image from (Fortune, November 2024)
There were also political and human rights complexities circling this COP. The decision to host COP29 in Azerbaijan has been criticized due to the recent ethnic cleansing of Armenians in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Critics argued that Azerbaijan was using the event to improve its international image while deflecting attention from allegations of ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses.
While Azerbaijan branded the event a "COP of Peace," many saw it as "greenwashing," masking its regional conflicts, aggression towards ethnic Armenians, and reliance on fossil fuels. This brings forward questions of climate justice in the midst of international cooperation towards climate action. If we are willing to speak about the necessity for social protections and human rights in the draft texts that result from COPs, should these factors also be taken into consideration when choosing the event’s location?
Activists, including Greta Thunberg, highlight the contradiction of hosting a climate conference amid ongoing humanitarian abuses. Armenia's absence from COP29 has also been criticized as a missed opportunity to address these issues on a global stage. The halls of this COP were missing key global players both for this reason and conflicting priorities from other nations.
Our Role at COP29
At the BIPOC Sustainability Collective, our mission is to foster equity and inclusivity in the sustainability sector, empowering future leaders from diverse backgrounds. We believe that cultivating a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of communities impacted by climate change will bring fresh perspectives and innovative leadership solutions to climate action and climate justice. This work is our localized contribution towards greater national and global efforts towards a just transition.
While COP29 focused on climate finance, it also tackled numerous other critical issues. Of particular interest to our team was the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), which aims to ensure that the shift to net-zero economies is just and equitable and leaves no one behind.
Established in 2022 during COP27 in Egypt, the JTWP prioritizes:
Just Transition Pathways to Achieve the Paris Agreement Goals
Social Protections for Workers
Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication
Adaptation and Resilience Building
Create Decent Work and Good-Quality Jobs
Inclusive and Participatory Approaches that “leave no one behind”
International Cooperation for a Just Transition
This year at COP29 we sent members of our team into the international arena to make connections between our own local work here in Vancouver, British Columbia, and progress on the just transition within the global context. All of our local efforts contribute to greater global efforts towards a net zero economy-ready workforce of the future.
Outcomes
As the final days of COP29 wrapped up, we witnessed some draft texts finalized, such as operationalization of Article 6. However, negotiations went 33 hours over time beyond the COP closing schedule in order to come to an agreement over the Baku finance goal - known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance.
On Thursday Nov 21 (1 day before the end of COP29), a draft text for the NCQG was released, however this lacked concrete commitments. There were many expressions of disappointment with the progress of global collaboration, negotiations, and the Global North’s willingness to pay the needed amounts to developing countries. Fast forward to the weekend’s end, and the final outcome of the NCQG increased from a negotiated commitment $250 Billion to “at least” $300 Billion per year by 2035 from developed nations to developing nations. This paltry sum was seen as an insult to many developing countries who have pushed for a sum of $1.3 Trillion USD per year by 2030 primarily on a grant basis and not solely on private funds.
As the conference concluded, these outcomes emerged:
Article 6 Operationalization: Countries managed to find agreement on the outstanding sections of Article 6 (specifically Article 6.2 and 6.4) on carbon markets which means that all elements of the Paris Agreement have finally been finalized nearly a decade after its original signing. Though some concerns remain about the details of the mechanism regarding accountability and transparency.
Loss and Damage Fund: Finalized details of full operationalization to support vulnerable countries facing irreversible climate impacts.
New Climate Finance Goal (NCQG): A $300 billion annual funding commitment, blending public and private sources, until 2035.
Just Transition Work Programmed Stalled: Unfortunately, no agreement was reached on the Just Transition Work Programme which means that progress on this front is stalled and will have to be picked up at COP30 next year in Belém, Brazil.
Lack of Agreement on the “Global Stocktake”: Countries also failed to reach a consensus on how to advance the outcomes of COP28’s “global stocktake” which punts progress on this at next year’s global negotiations.
While progress was made, frustrations were voiced over the lack of concrete commitments from Global North nations, the presidency’s close ties to the fossil fuel industry, and the poorly managed, protracted nature of negotiations. There are also concerns that the draft text negotiated for Article 6 (carbon credits), waters down the opportunity for greater rigour, transparency and accountability in global carbon credit markets.
To learn more, read out these two detailed summaries prepared by Carbon Brief and the Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
Think Global…Act Local
The BIPOC Sustainability Collective is dedicated to creating space for BIPOC professionals and activists in the environmental sector to connect to peer networks and mentorship in their field, access career and skills enhancing resources, and gain access to information and support to help forward their important work in climate and environmental sustainability.
At COP29, our team worked to connect our local initiatives in Vancouver, British Columbia, to global progress towards a net-zero economy. Engaging effectively in the international climate policy arena is complex. While critiques of COP’s environmental footprint and evolving purpose are valid, the benefits of international collaboration cannot be overlooked. These gatherings provide a vital platform for connecting local efforts to global strategies, amplifying voices and communities that have historically been excluded from decision-making spaces.
Throughout our time at COP29 we met many organizations and leaders working on solutions for the Just Transition. This included both providing and advocating for resources towards sustainable jobs growth, green skills building (i.e., through education and training), and in some cases, reducing barriers to entry into the sector. By fostering partnerships and sharing knowledge, we aim to position our community as part of the broader solution to the climate crisis.
We were inspired by conversations with organizations and leaders who are actively addressing the green skills gap—a major barrier to workforce readiness in the just transition. For example, studies project that implementing the Paris Agreement could create 18 million jobs by 2030 (ILO, 2024). However, a green skills gap persists within the potential workforce, with an estimated 1 in 8 workers having one or more green skills (Linkedin). These opportunities hinge on ensuring workers have access to the training and education needed to excel in sustainable industries.
In the BIPOC Sustainability Collective community, many of our members are early career professionals. These young people are looking for green skill building, training and education, equal access to opportunities, mentorship, and a growing industry for sustainable jobs. During our time at COP29 we have been a part of many conversations about the green skills gap that must be filled in the transition and are now seeing wording enter the work programme text as well.
The BIPOC Sustainability Collective remains dedicated to advancing equity in sustainability. Our collective focuses on providing BIPOC professionals and activists with the resources they need to succeed, including mentorship, training, and access to career opportunities. By addressing barriers to entry and fostering skill development, we aim to close the green skills gap and support a thriving workforce for the just transition. At COP29, we strengthened relationships with international organizations and leaders, expanding our capacity to advocate for inclusive climate solutions.
The climate crisis demands action on every level. As we continue our work at home and beyond, we’re inspired by the progress made at COP29 and remain committed to a shared vision of a just, inclusive, and sustainable future.
By building on the relationships and knowledge gained in Baku, we look forward to expanding our impact and forging new pathways for transformative change.
We are looking to build another delegation to attend COP30 in November 2025 in Belém, Brazil which has been largely seen as the “nature” COP given its proximity to the Amazon rainforest. If your organization is in a position to support our delegation or provide badges to our core organizers, please get in touch with us at BIPOCsustainability@gmail.com.
Onwards to Belém!