November 12, 2024 – BAKU, Azerbaijan – As the COP29 World Leaders Summit gets underway, the world’s Big Five wealthiest countries leading oil and gas expansion — the US, UK, Norway, Canada, Australia — have unmatched responsibility for fueling the climate crisis and for leading the transition off fossil fuels agreed to at COP28 last year.

The reelection of climate denier Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency brings a new level of uncertainty to climate diplomacy in Baku. Nevertheless, the fossil-fueled climate crisis rages on, with 2024 almost certainly the hottest year on record and the first to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming.

With carbon dioxide emissions at a record high and overshoot of the Paris-agreed target looming, we know we need strong leadership and concrete action by the wealthiest countries with the greatest historic contribution to global heating. These include an adequate climate finance goal, or New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), this year and ambitious climate emissions target, or Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), in the next three months. Here in Baku and beyond, every action must be taken to build on the progress in Dubai to speed a funded and fair transition off fossil fuels.

What:

A press conference about the world’s Big Five wealthiest countries leading oil and gas expansion — the US, UK, Norway, Canada, Australia — and their responsibility to lead and fund the transition away from fossil fuels in the context of Trump’s return to the White House.

When:

Tuesday, November 12, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time

Where:

 COP29 Blue Zone Area D, Press Conference Natavan
Livestream: https://unfccc.int/event/center-for-biological-diversity-11

Who:

Karuna Jaggar, climate campaign director, Center for Biological Diversity

Caroline Brouillette, executive director, Climate Action Network Canada

Sindra Sharma, Ph.D., senior policy and governance advisor, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN)

Shady Khalil, senior global policy strategist, Oil Change International (moderator)

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Source: Center for Biological Diversity