In Depth

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What’s in the new IPCC report (and what does it mean)?

The latest IPCC report <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-ii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was published on 28th February</a> &#8211; but what does it say, and what does it mean? In this article we’ll take a look at what the IPCC reports are, what this one contains, and what it means for climate action.
It’s always crucial to note that there is often heavy-handed reporting about climate change reports when they are published &#8211; at Ecologi, we’re here to help you make sense of the science, and understand what you can do to support climate action around the world.
Content warning: some of the content from the IPCC report, which we describe below, can be very challenging to read, and cause feelings of panic or anxiety. Our team urges readers to consider their mental health when reading coverage of the IPCC reports, and take breaks, stop reading or seek support if you feel you may need it. We’ve collected some resources at the bottom of this post, from our friends and partners, to help you feel supported.
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<h3>What are the IPCC reports?</h3>
IPCC Assessment Reports are scientific updates on the status of climate change science and impacts. They take place every few years, and involve hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists. We are currently in the middle of the cycle for the <a href="https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg2/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGII_FinalDraft_FullReport.pdf">Sixth Assessment Report</a>.
The IPCC has three Working Groups which, in their contributions to the Assessment Reports, cover different aspects of climate science. The most recent Working Group I contribution was published in August 2021, concerning the physical science of climate change.
This latest report, published 28th February 2022, concerns impacts, adaptation and vulnerability to climate change. IPCC reports are published with hundreds &#8211; or thousands &#8211; of pages of research findings, alongside a shorter <a href="https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg2/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf">Summary for Policymakers</a> and a <a href="https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg2/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGII_FinalDraft_TechnicalSummary.pdf">Technical Summary</a>, each of which aims to summarise the key findings of the report.
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<h3>What’s in this report?</h3>
The Summary for Policymakers begins by emphasising the interdependence of climate, ecosystems, biodiversity and human societies, and that safeguarding and restoring nature is key to securing a liveable future for humanity. It notes that “human-caused climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme events, has caused widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people”.
Climate and weather extremes have already led to some irreversible impacts, as both natural and human systems are “pushed beyond their ability to adapt”. The new report acknowledges that across all sectors and regions, it is the most vulnerable people and ecosystems which are the most disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change.
With the publication of this latest Working Group report, the IPCC stresses that urgent action is required to deal with ever-increasing risks associated with further climate change &#8211; but that taking action now can still secure our future. The magnitude of climate impacts which have already been observed &#8211; and those which are projected to take place &#8211; should give us an idea of the scale of the policymaking and funding that is required over the next decade. Real, transformational change is needed.
The report stresses again that the less warming we produce, the less damaging the impacts &#8211; and the cheaper they will be to deal with. It notes that the costs associated with climate-related damage and adaptation are significantly lower at 1.5ºC than at higher amounts of warming. This refutes the common misconception that it “costs” something to take action on climate &#8211; it doesn’t, since <a href="https://escholarship.org/content/qt8db26620/qt8db26620.pdf">the cost of inaction is much, much greater</a>. There has also been evidence of ‘maladaptation’ &#8211; efforts to adapt to climate change which have been poorly-designed or executed and are therefore not producing the right outcomes.
The WGII report strongly emphasises new research into the linkages between climate impacts and issues of climate and social justice. As well as leaning on bodies of establishment academic research, there is new &#8211; and welcome &#8211; attention to the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in our response to this huge challenge.

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Climate change has altered ecosystems on land and underwater, all around the world. The report is clear that some effects have been observed earlier, more widely and more severely than had previously been anticipated. Often, physiological or population-level adaptations are insufficient to cope with recent climate change, and this drives extinctions for many species.
The risk framework used in the IPCC report relates multiple components of risk: hazard, exposure and vulnerability. Vulnerability to climate change is intersectional &#8211; relating to “political, economic, and cultural processes of marginalisation” &#8211; and the greater the inequity within a society, the less resilience to climate risks there is. The report also notes that there are new types of risk which will be generated by interactions between the existing types of risks &#8211; unexpected compounding or cascading risks which can place extreme stress on, for example, global food supply chains.
Loss of species causes ecosystem restructuring to a large degree, as well as causing losses and damages to human systems, and impacting human behaviours and activities. And extreme weather events caused by climate change (such as wildfires, floods, droughts, heatwaves) are already causing widespread and severe loss and damage.
The new IPCC report also notes that each 0.1ºC warming puts more species, ecosystems and people at risk &#8211; which is why it is crucial that we must work against every single fraction of a degree of warming.

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We know that thriving and biodiverse ecosystems <a href="https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10871/15196/Lovell%202014%20JTEH%20biodiversity%20health%20review%20post-print.pdf?sequence=2">have innumerable benefits</a> &#8211; both for humans and for nature itself, and they also provide greater opportunities to reduce climate risks. This means that restoration of nature is a crucial tool in our toolbox for both mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.
Extreme weather events, habitat fragmentation and pollution are causing irreversible damage to many ecosystems. The increased frequency of these events will also decrease the recovery time available for these ecosystems, leaving them even more vulnerable. 
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378016300681">Pathways of warming</a> which include temporary temperature increases beyond the “well below 2ºC” warming targets will have severe consequences for both natural and human systems &#8211; such as glacier melt, loss of coral reefs &#8211; even if the more ambitious warming goals are reached afterward.

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Observed climate impacts are already putting strain on food and forestry systems, with negative consequences for livelihoods, food security and nutrition for millions of people around the world. Roughly half of the world’s population <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.1500323">are already experiencing severe water scarcity for at least one month per year</a>, and a key factor in this is poor water governance. Food insecurity and water scarcity will become more prevalent with each increment in warming, especially in regions where vulnerability is high. 
Impacts of rising sea-level are already being felt in coastal areas, and risks posed by sea-level rise <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017EF000738">will continue to accelerate beyond 2100</a> &#8211; even if we put a stop to emissions today. 
Human mental and physical health is already being affected by climate change &#8211; especially among women, children, the elderly, Indigenous people, low-income households and socially marginalised groups. 
Some parts of the world which are currently highly populated will become unsafe or uninhabitable due to increased frequency and/or severity of climate change-induced extreme weather events, like droughts or floods. This will influence the movement of people and will also mean many millions of people become climate refugees in the coming years.

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There are key changes to our current strategies which must be implemented if we are to prevent the impacts of climate change worsening.
Fundamental to the success of those next steps we take is the centering of climate justice in our adaptation efforts. The incorporation of Indigenous knowledge, the centering of the needs of underrepresented people in society, and the focusing of resources in areas most affected by climate change will all be crucial in making the best decisions around adaptation. 
If we go about things the right way, then tackling climate change will present us with an incredible opportunity to accelerate sustainable development and build a fairer and more just world. <a href="https://www.drawdown.org">These two missions are tightly interlinked</a>, with social and gender equity being key components to solving both problems. Additionally, improved healthcare provision and education can support climate-resilient development.
In this way, the report tells us what we already know &#8211; that the solutions to climate change are interlinked with the solutions to other global challenges like justice and equity. These solutions exist in the world already &#8211; and we simply need to choose to implement them, fast.

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The final few lines of the new IPCC report tell us what we need to know:
<blockquote>The cumulative scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health. Any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.</blockquote>
The first overarching message of this report &#8211; like all the others, but louder now &#8211; is exactly that: we need to act. The second crucial message is that the window of opportunity is closing &#8211; but it is not closed yet. There is still time to act, and we must do so swiftly, comprehensively and inclusively. 
We’ve collected some steps that we can all take right now &#8211; today, after reading this article, to help force action on climate.
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<h3>Things you can do now:</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/environmental-activism-your-first-steps">Take your first steps</a> to becoming an environmental activist with our step-by-step guide &#8211; including concrete steps like arming yourself with knowledge, writing to your representatives and more.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Speak to people around you &#8211; your friends, loved ones, colleagues. Tell them how you feel about the climate crisis, help them to understand how urgent the issue is, and organise with them.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Divest your money from fossil fuels &#8211; if you have savings, pensions, investments, take them away from <a href="https://www.ran.org/press-releases/bankingonclimatechaos2021/">banks that fund fossil fuel investments</a> and support ethical funds only.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="http://x.ecologi.com/plan">Join Ecologi’s movement of collective action</a>, as we come together to help fund climate solutions around the world, with the goal to reduce half of the world’s projected emissions by 2040.</li>
</ul>

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In facing the climate crisis, we need all of us to be resilient. Resilience doesn’t mean never feeling sad or angry about climate change &#8211; it means taking steps to securing long term wellbeing and agency in the face of the challenges we face.
‘Eco-anxiety’ and similar terms can relate to stress, depression, anxiety, despair and other powerful emotions which are heightened as a result of the climate and ecological emergency. ‘Eco-grief’ or ‘climate grief’ also describe feelings of grief and mourning for the losses and destruction associated with the crisis – either those that have already happened, or those still to come.
If you are feeling burned out, overwhelmed, or in despair, we’ve collected some resources from organisations doing amazing work on eco-anxiety, which we hope might help. 

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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The <a href="https://www.allwecansave.earth/project">All We Can Save Project</a> is an amazing resource for community building and sharing deeper dialogue about the climate crisis. There’s a book, All We Can Save, to read – or you could <a href="https://www.allwecansave.earth/circles">start an All We Can Save Circle</a> which you could start with your friends or in your workplace. The Project also lists resources for <a href="https://www.allwecansave.earth/emotions">working with climate emotions</a>.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Force of Nature runs <a href="https://www.forceofnature.xyz/podcast">a thought-provoking podcast</a> centred around eco-anxiety and how to turn eco-anxiety into agency, as well as <a href="https://www.forceofnature.xyz/the-bloom">a media platform called The Bloom</a> for young voices to express their feelings, thoughts and actions in the face of the climate crisis.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.theresilienceproject.org.uk/">The Resilience Project</a> trains young people to run peer-to-peer support circles based on the latest insights from psychology and neuroscience to <a href="https://www.theresilienceproject.org.uk/our-work">build a resilient generation of youth</a>.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/">The Climate Psychology Alliance</a> holds regular online ‘<a href="https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/events/500-climate-cafe-jan">Climate Cafes’</a> which you can attend to discuss fears &amp; uncertainties about our climate &amp; ecological crisis, all while in a safe and empathetic space with others who feel the same.</li>
</ul>

Blog

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Meet our Impact Team

Ecologi’s mission is to inspire and empower businesses to accelerate global climate action. In everything we do, we’re guided by our company values:
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<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Planet first</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Always accountable</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Change-makers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Act, together.</li>
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Because of our values, we put impact for our climate, nature and people, right at our heart: and this is driven by our Impact Team.

<h2>Meeting the Impact Team </h2>
The Impact Team is responsible for directing our efforts toward meaningful climate action aligned with the latest science and industry best practice. The team’s role encompasses several key areas, including:
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<li>Ensuring adherence to best practice through our research bases, rigorous due diligence processes, and expert understanding of key sustainability frameworks.</li>
<li>Building and managing relationships with some of the world’s leading implementation partners to facilitate the delivery of high-impact climate solutions.</li>
<li>Delivery of emissions measurement and reporting projects, assisting customers with data collection, emissions calculations, and helping them identify effective decarbonisation strategies.</li>
<li>Engaging with academia, including the stewardship of the Ecologi Climate Committee — our advisory network of academic and industry experts on topics relevant to our work.</li>
<li>Providing climate and sustainability expertise and strategic guidance to align our products and services with the latest in environmental science and industry best practices and to guide our internal policy.</li>
<li>Driving our industry forward through participating in industry advisory groups, policy advocacy groups, consortia and alliances with Ecologi’s peers and partners in corporate sustainability, </li>
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In this article, we’ll meet the team making it all possible!

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<h2>Sam Jackson, Director of Climate Science &amp; Impact</h2>
MSc, MA, PIEMA REnvP, FRSA
Sam is department lead for Impact at Ecologi, and a member of Ecologi’s senior leadership team. He is responsible for providing climate and sustainability expertise and strategic guidance to the business, with the priority of aligning Ecologi’s products and services with the latest in environmental science and industry best practice. Sam is an advisor to a number of industry groups and a regular speaker at sustainability industry events.
Sam has a varied background in climate science, international operations, development, and environmental governance. In his early career, he worked primarily in the charity and sustainable tourism sectors before moving permanently into climate and corporate sustainability. Sam holds Master’s degrees in International Relations and Climate Change Science and Policy from the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol. He is a Practitioner Member of IEMA, a Registered Environmental Practitioner with the Society for the Environment, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

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<h2>Eleanor Turner, Climate Solutions Manager</h2>
MSc, BSc, PIEMA 
Eleanor has a senior role within the Impact team, helping to guide our strategic direction and shape our theory of change, as well as supporting the team across all Impact functions. Eleanor leads much of our external engagement with academia, including managing the Ecologi Climate Committee: our advisory network of academic and industry experts across a wide range of topics relevant to our work. She also works cross-functionally around the business, to drive much of Ecologi’s own internal sustainability efforts.
Eleanor holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of York, in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geography. Eleanor’s career began as a sustainability consultant within the engineering and construction industry, focusing on BREEAM assessments and decarbonisation across the public sector. Eleanor then moved to an in-house sustainability role within the consumer goods industry, focused on internal sustainability strategy and greenhouse gas inventory management, before joining Ecologi as our Climate Solutions Manager.

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<h2>George Gibson, Senior Carbon Accounting Manager</h2>
George provides technical expertise to support the development of the carbon accounting methodology underpinning our Ecologi Zero platform for businesses. George also leads the consultative delivery of emissions measurement and reporting projects with our customers, guiding them through data collection and helping them to identify decarbonisation strategies. Key to his role is ensuring compliance with the relevant standards and that the tool provides a comprehensive and accurate account of a business’ emissions.
With a degree in Economics and Management from Cardiff University, specialising in economic development, George has previously worked as a sustainability consultant providing insight into compiling greenhouse gas inventories to measure and report emissions, developing decarbonisation strategies, setting Science-Based Targets and supporting businesses in attaining B Corp certification.

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<h2>Katie Pownall, Impact Partnerships Manager</h2>
MBiol, MRSB, ACIEEM
Katie works closely with Ecologi’s reforestation and other implementation partners, ensuring that funding from our community goes to the best projects, and sharing stories about the projects with the Ecologi community. As Ecologi continues to grow, Katie is helping to identify new types of impact projects, enabling Ecologi customers to fund cutting-edge climate action with some of the most well-respected organisations around the world.
Katie has a Master’s degree in Biology from University of York, where she focused on ecology and conservation, and during which she worked in the North York Moors National Park’s Conservation department, where she gained knowledge about protected species, habitat management, and on-the-ground conservation work. This  hands-on experience combined with her understanding of the theory of conservation and ecology helps Katie to guide Ecologi’s decisions so that we optimise our positive impact on people, biodiversity, and the planet.

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<h2>Lucy Gemmell, Carbon Portfolio Manager</h2>
In her role as Carbon Portfolio Manager, Lucy drives our in-house due diligence to identify top-tier carbon avoidance and removal projects, manages our relationships with project developers, and helps to educate customers in ensuring they are communicating about their impact correctly. In her work, she manages our relationships with a number of our key strategic impact partners including Sylvera and Earth Blox. Lucy originally joined Ecologi in 2022 as part of our Commercial team and spent a year working cross-departmentally, immersing herself in the voluntary carbon market before transitioning permanently into the Impact team. 
Lucy has a diverse background, having managed a boutique real estate brokerage in her earlier career and chaired the board of an education-based NGO in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is currently pursuing a Master&#8217;s degree in Climate Change and Development, following the recent completion of an ESG Specialisation from the Corporate Finance Institute.

Alongside the Impact team, we have some incredible individuals who assist us in reaching our goals and supporting our work. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do, and their contributions help us stay on track and maintain momentum.

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<h2>Monsoon Modi, Commercial Operations Executive</h2>
Monsoon originally joined Ecologi in 2022 as part of our Customer Success team and spent a year working cross-departmentally before moving into the Commercial team, now as an Operations Executive. 
Key to her role is optimising commercial projects, building commercial resources and providing support for small businesses along their sustainability journey. Monsoon also supports the Impact Team with internal educational material, project reports and administrative tasks. 
With a degree in Politics and International Relations, Monsoon is currently pursuing a Master&#8217;s degree in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh.

<h2>Climate Committee </h2>
Ecologi’s Climate Committee was founded in 2021 to bring together industry experts and research professionals who sit outside of the business to bring specialist knowledge and support to maximise our climate impact. Our committee members bring best-practice thinking, and ongoing developments with regard to global climate science, carbon accounting methodology, nature-based projects and the voluntary carbon market through our three working groups, Nature, Climate and Policy.
The committee supports the Impact team through providing expert knowledge across specialist fields which help shape the future of the team, and the wider business. In turn, this improves our internal decision-making and strategy development through staying at the forefront of industry developments and innovation.

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Case studies

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Case study: the Focusrite Group

<h2>About the Focusrite Group </h2>
<a href="https://x.ecologi.com/focusritegroup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Focusrite</a> is not your average audio technology group. This passionate bunch is united by a single objective: to smash through barriers and unleash boundless creativity in the world of sound.
Founded in 1985 and based in High Wycombe, this team of over 500 is on a mission to remove barriers to creativity. And they believe that technology can play an important role in breaking down other barriers too, including geographical, social, economic, and even environmental. 
Focusrite is an organisation that’s driven by purpose, with a keen desire to be a force for good in the world. Responsible practices are an essential part of how they do business, and that includes keeping a keen eye on their impact on the environment.

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<h2>Issue</h2>
Focusrite has been working to reduce its environmental impact for many years and in 2020 developed a carbon accounting process that now provides near real-time data on Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions.
This progress has allowed the team to set goals, but they are in the process of applying to set Science Based Targets (SBT) to replace them. In the meantime they are already aligning their approach with SBT guidelines. 
As a UK-based company, Focusrite is committed to 2050 as the ultimate deadline for net-zero, but they want to get there quicker. So their approach is not to set a net-zero target year until they have gone through the SBT application process by 2026 at the latest, and instead use carbon reduction metrics and targets to set them up for long-term success.

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<h2>Challenges</h2>
The team at Focusrite use emissions data to guide action, and their emissions are largely dominated by their hardware products, which account for 96% of GHG emissions. 
They have already made good progress in reducing the use of aluminium, plastic, and product packaging, with many more areas under review. As they roll out changes across their product range, the team aims to increase the pace of their reductions, with any new products being designed from more sustainable materials from the start.
Focusrite is striving to become a sustainability leader in its industry, setting the standard for peers to emulate. Environmental stewardship is a big part of that, and the message from the entire employee base is that they want to support nature beyond their value chain. This is why they reached out to Ecologi to help them do more good for our planet.

<h2>Solution </h2>
Focusrite has worked with Ecologi since 2021. Ecologi supports the team to fund tree planting for internal initiatives like employee charity fundraising, but also to offset the wood used in their products. The wood used is already FSC certified, so by planting trees with Ecologi they replace more than they consume. 
Focusrite also works with Ecologi to support projects to mitigate any remaining Scope 1 and 2 emissions they can’t avoid. So far they have funded 17 projects, including a solar power project in Morocco, supplying high efficiency cookstoves in Somalia, and preserving Amazonian rainforest in Brazil.
The team isn&#8217;t shy about sharing Focusrite’s success. They talk about their climate impact prominently in their annual report and employee newsletter, and dive into the details in their dedicated environment and climate reports. 
Taking such positive climate action has boosted Focusrite’s reputation with customers and colleagues alike. They have enjoyed press coverage for their tree planting, which positioned them as a leader in their industry, and they have even had employees join the company purely because of their environmental sustainability programme.

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<h2>Outcome</h2>
Since 2021, the Focusrite Group has funded the planting of 89,080 trees, supported the prevention of 132 tonnes of CO2e from being emitted, and funded the removal of 81 tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere. In total 17 different projects have been funded.

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<h2>Is your business ready to take climate action?</h2>
If this article has inspired your business to start its climate journey, talk to our team today.

Schedule a call with our team

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What happened at COP29

This year’s Conference of the Parties is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan and will run until the 22nd of November. Our team at Ecologi are monitoring the daily events to give you real-time analysis and reactions to the developments and agreements taking place. 
What is COP29? Click <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/uncategorised/what-to-expect-at-cop29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> for a comprehensive guide to all things COP29. 
What happened at COP28? Click <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/whats-happening-at-cop28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to read a full report of the event in 2023.

<h2>Overall sentiment &#8211; COP29 wrap-up</h2>
The overall sentiment at COP29 reflects a little bit of progress and an awful lot of frustration. As is often the case at the climate COPs, any progress that does get made is often overshadowed by the missed opportunities – and this one is no exception on that front.
The largest positive from this COP is in the agreements made on operationalising carbon market standards under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This consensus signals hope for greater transparency, higher standards, and clear opportunities for businesses to engage in global climate action projects, in a new carbon market managed under the UN framework. These draft documents on Article 6 were published on the first day of the COP and have stayed relatively static since then – indicating that agreement was achieved early. They did come under criticism though, with the Presidency offering up documents to be accepted as-is, with no opportunity for countries to scrutinise the wording.
The COP as a whole, and its broader negotiations on a range of other topics, have been marred by tensions, frustrations, and geopolitics. Proceedings were thrown somewhat, by world leaders disappearing from the world leaders’ summit at the conference and reconvening in Brazil (next year’s COP host country) for the G20 – leading to <a href="https://www.gov.br/planalto/pt-br/media/18-11-2024-declaracao-de-lideres-g20.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a multilateral G20 declaration</a> which seemed to both celebrate and chastise the country negotiators back in Baku. 
Geopolitics making things difficult – COP29 has taken place against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions between a wide range of countries, which have diverted attention and resources away from climate action and have complicated negotiations. Add to that the problems coming from the COP itself – from country boycotts, to backhanded oil and gas deals, to threats to drop out of the Paris Agreement by Argentina (a threat which was later clarified as rescinded) and by the USA (which is likely to be upheld under the incoming administration) – and it’s easy to wonder how nearly 200 countries can be convinced to agree on anything at all. Let alone an issue with the gravity, urgency, and complexity of climate change.
Poor management by the Presidency – if you’ve followed our daily coverage you’ll have spotted over the past two weeks how this COP has felt quite chaotic and frenetic. It hasn’t really felt throughout proceedings that the Presidency is in control of things – and this applies on the diplomatic level but also in a practical sense, with uncomfortable stories coming out of the conference centre about poorly-managed bathroom facilities and catering. On the draft decisions, the Presidency’s strategy has been cavalier and uncharitable, with something of a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ attitude to negotiations which isn’t helpful or conducive to compromise. On the last day of the COP, the Climate Action Network awarded the Azerbaijani Presidency their Fossil of the Day award because it “doesn’t understand the gravity of the Presidency, or for that matter the value of civil society”. This is a damning assessment, but one which is hard to disagree with.
Somehow, fossil fuels are still the elephant in the room – we heard from UNEP before COP29 started that <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">global emissions are still rising</a>, driven by continued fossil fuel use – and yet COP29 has failed to advance any fossil fuel reduction commitments. In Dubai last year, we saw the agreed cover text mention the “phase-down of unabated coal power”, the “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems” and the “phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies” (which was pretty weak in itself). This year, the fossil fuel lobby was typically massive – with over 1,700 fossil fuel lobbyists in attendance. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence showing that fossil fuels must stay in the ground, the dominance of fossil fuel interests has continued to undermine progress, with the Arab Group in particular this year refusing to back any texts that reference the phasing out of fossil fuels. The COP29 texts on the UAE dialogue and the Mitigation Work Programme (which ought to have been used to further the outcomes of last year’s Global Stocktake) were meant to enhance climate mitigation. The final version of the MWP fails to mention the transition away from fossil fuels, the 1.5ºC warming goal or the Global Stocktake and its outcomes, and the UAE dialogue on how to proceed on the Global Stocktake wasn’t adopted at all. Interestingly, the earliest drafts did mention the 1.5ºC warming goal and the seriousness of 2023 being the warmest year on record. As the drafts progressed this messaging was removed, despite many calling for the final text to be more ambitious and specific. A deal on the MWP was adopted during the closing plenary session without any intervention. 
Article 6 and UK government provide a few reasons to be positive for businesses 
Whilst the overall sentiment at this year’s COP29 has been disappointment, particularly regarding the pace of global climate action and the lack of firm commitments from key global players, there are still some glimmers of hope for businesses. Among the more promising developments is the aforementioned progress on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the UK government’s climate commitments. The outcomes on Article 6 pose a step forward for businesses. By advancing frameworks for international carbon markets, COP29 has created a clearer pathway for companies to engage in high-quality carbon offsetting and trading, fostering transparency and credibility in the process. This opens up new opportunities for organisations globally to progress towards net-zero targets whilst supporting climate action projects and global emission reductions. 
The UK government’s renewed focus on climate policy has created incentives such as increased funding for green technology, support for nature based projects and streamlined regulation for sustainable investment, catalysing innovation and market growth. The developments at COP29 have reinforced the role of businesses as a key actor in the fight against climate change when world leaders fall short on agreeing ambitious climate goals. Through embracing innovation, adopting bold emission reduction targets and funding climate action, companies can fill the leadership gap and accelerate progress where governments falter.

COP29 - Daily updates 

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The two-week conference, scheduled for November 11th-22nd will bring together representatives from all countries that have agreed to be bound by the UNFCCC. The conference takes place annually to negotiate new measures, develop policy and review progress against the goal of limiting climate change.
Azerbaijan, the host nation, has received its fair share of criticism for becoming this year’s COP president. Oil and Gas make up 92.5% of the country’s GDP per capita, and President Ilham Aliyev has stated his support for oil and gas producing nations to continue investing in the sector, clashing with last year’s COP28 outcome in which all nations called for accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.

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<h2>The key talking points and priorities in the run up to COP29</h2>
This year, priorities are focused on climate finance, with COP29 being coined the Finance COP, this is reiterated by the programme of scheduling with Finance, Investment and Trade taking priority spot on the first day of discussions.
Energy and Science are also high on the agenda, while Nature and Biodiversity and Oceans and Coastal Zones take more of a back seat, only being scheduled for the final day before negotiations; naturally, this comes as a disappointment as this signals these areas of discussion are considered lower priority when compared with energy and finance.
It is likely momentum and attendance will decrease by the end of week two and could undermine the urgency needed to address the implications of climate change on nature globally and reduce their integration into wider climate strategies.
The following key priorities are expected to lead discussions at COP29;
<h3>New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)</h3>
Developing countries, particularly those most vulnerable to climate change, require substantial financial support to transition to green economies and adapt to climate impacts. COP29 aims to agree on a new commitment to provide annual climate finance to developing countries, replacing a goal of $100 billion per annum set in 2009 at COP15. The World Economic Forum states that ‘the NCQG must be ambitious yet realistic, balancing the financial capacities of developed countries with the urgent needs of developing nations’.
<h3>Growing the loss and damage fund</h3>
Established and operationalised at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, the loss and damage fund acknowledges the disproportionate burden that climate change places on vulnerable nations. It is a financial mechanism that helps countries cope with the loss and damages they face due to climate change – this includes loss of life, damage to infrastructure and displacement.
At COP29, there is hope to see significant progress in the fund’s operationalisation and funding. Countries are expected to make substantial pledges to the fund to ensure it can meet the needs of developing countries. To date, major contributors include the UAE, Germany and the United States. Other big-emitting countries such as China and Saudi Arabia are yet to announce their intention to contribute to the fund.
<h3>Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)</h3>
At COP29, nations will be encouraged to commit to more ambitious and robust Nationally Determined Contributions; these are climate action commitments made by countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate change mitigation, aligning with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
NDCs are submitted every 5 years to the UNFCCC, and with the next global stocktake approaching NDCs are to be put forward by February 2025, demonstrating increased ambition and concrete action plans. At COP29, there is likely to be a push to provide financial and technical support to developing countries to enable them to outline and implement NDCs of their own.
<h3>Article 6 of the Paris Agreement</h3>
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement aims to promote the use of carbon markets to achieve their climate targets. At COP29 we can expect discussions with regards to how a robust and well-regulated international carbon market can be developed and maintained. A key goal of COP29 is to finalise the rulebook for Article 6, which will provide clear guidelines for its implementation, and address concerns with regards to the quality of carbon credits, double counting and sustainable development.

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<h2>Who is attending COP29</h2>
With just 2 months to go until COP29 kicks off, there has been minimal discussion with regards to which World Leaders we can expect at the event.
From the UK, Ed Miliband, the newly appointed Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero, is confirmed to be leading UK negotiations for COP29. However, with the USA election taking place just 5 days before COP29 begins, it is unlikely that the President will be in attendance. As the event draws closer, we can expect more countries to confirm which delegates will attend.

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<h2>What to expect during COP29</h2>
An anticipated 40,000 participants are heading to COP29, almost half the number of attendees than at <a href="https://x.ecologi.com/articles/blog/whats-happening-at-cop28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COP28</a> in Dubai last year; this poses the question of if bigger is necessarily better, fewer attendees reduce the environmental impact of the conferences, with the UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell <a href="https://www.climatechangenews.com/2024/04/24/peak-cop-un-looks-to-shrink-baku-and-belem-climate-summits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying he hopes to see fewer people attending COPs </a>as size does not necessarily translate to the quality of outcomes.
COP29 still presents a crucial opportunity to make significant strides in climate action, by focusing on climate finance and reaffirming climate goals, countries can collectively work together to provide the funding and tools necessary to shape the trajectory of global climate efforts.

<h2>Partner with us for COP29 and beyond</h2>
Over the next 12 months we want to support as many businesses as possible to tackle climate change.
If your business is interested in a partnership to help scale climate action or starting its climate journey during COP29 or beyond, get in touch.

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