Between November 11 – 22, the 2024 COP29 (the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change) met in Baju, Azerbaijan. The major focus at this year’s COP29 was on agreeing a new goal for worldwide climate finance. An Anglican delegation attended, to advocate for the importance of justice in how nations finance climate change. The delegation was led Archbishop Julio Murray (the bishop of Panama and former primate of Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America) and Martha Jarvis, the Anglican Communion’s Permanent Representative at the UN.

The Anglican Communion News Service spoke to Martha Jarvis about her reflections on the outcomes of COP29. 

Why are COPs so important?

The COPs handle one of the greatest challenges of our time. Climate change is already claiming lives, livelihoods and whole cultures through sea level rise, forest fires, flash floods, drought and melting ice caps, and the effects will only get worse. Climate change is also driven by stark global injustice – those who have done the least to cause the issues are suffering the most, and paying disproportionately to respond. The stakes are high for these negotiations and expectations of delivery rise accordingly. Disappointment is strong when they return moderate outcomes or compromises.

What were the outcomes of COP29?

COP29 aimed to work on a new global goal for financing responses to climate change. Countries committed to provide 300 billion dollars per year by 2035, led by countries which have the highest historic emissions of greenhouse gases. A second figure (1.3 trillion dollars) is provided as an aim for all finance that goes towards responses to climate change, including from governments, banks, businesses, philanthropists and more. 

The fact that any agreement was made is counted as a success by some. It gives clear figures for the world to rally around, rather than further confusion and non-commitment. 

Most estimates say 1.3 trillion dollars per year will be needed to keep the world below 2 degrees of warming. This is the money needed to cover the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy supplies, adaptation to avoid the worst impact of climate disasters, and payment for what has already been lost. According to the agreement emerging from COP29, large amounts of this money will come from banks and investors, not directly from governments. 

‘Developed’ countries (those who have the highest historical emissions) are committed to 300 billion dollars per year. This is a slight increase on previously agreed targets and on a highly unpopular draft resolution put forward a day before the end of COP29. But it is still disappointingly low for those who need the finance most. For them, the agreement seems to let rich, powerful, high-emitting countries off the hook of paying for the damage they created.

Many of the other major debates at COP29 will be returned to next year, including how to accelerate a transition away from fossil fuels and how to increase the ambition of national plans to reduce climate change (NDCs).

What did the Anglican Communion say about finance and climate crisis at COP29?

There is highly welcome language in the agreement around avoiding financing that will put countries further in debt, with a preference for grant-based finance. At this year's COP, the Anglican Communion and many other faith and civil society groups drew attention to the destructive cycles of sovereign debt, which mean that many countries have severely limited resources to respond to the threat of climate change and spend more on interest payments than they do on healthcare and education. This reflects the Pope's call for 2025 - the year of jubilee - to include cancelling of national debt and the UN Secretary General repeated pleas that wider financial systems need urgent reform. Yet the agreement can only go so far: loans will continue in climate finance. The reality of global economics means little comes without interest. 

The Anglican Communion was represented at COP29 in order to encourage stronger commitments in the name of justice and wisdom - the wisdom of God that is illuminated by those hardest hit by climate change: indigenous peoples, women and youth. We presented in events alongside other faith representatives to show the importance of reforming global economics and individual lifestyles to redress damaging inequality. Archbishop Julio and I both spoke about the words and actions of Jesus in proclaiming God’s kingdom – a kingdom of freedom from oppression, forgiveness of debt and love for neighbours who are impacted by our actions. There are direct implications of these teachings for climate action worldwide - including whose voices we seek out to hear justice and how we each listen to and act upon what they say. 

What are your hopes for future action?

As we enter a time when government actions and global divisions may challenge expectations of progress in many international negotiations, we need to hold fast to these teachings of Jesus in our own lives and spheres of influence. The COP29 young adult volunteers can be a reminder to us that many small, seemingly insignificant interactions mount up. It doesn’t take much salt to flavour a dish, or much light to transform the darkness. We choose to  hope inGod and partner with him in the restoration of all things in Jesus. One action, one day, one person at a time.

Supporting Information

Find out more about what Anglicans called for at COP29 and how your church can advocate for climate justice.

Download the Anglican report ‘Choosing Hope’ here

Read more about the Anglican presence at COP29 here