COP29
Every year.
The world's annual meeting to mitigate climate change.
About the event
COP (Conference of Parties) is an annual climate change focused gathering of almost every country on Earth. Nations officially ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994 and countries, institutions, and organisations have met virtually every year since then to discuss climate action. The most important global agreements on climate change have come out of these meetings, namely the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015 which was legally binding. The two-week conference is held in a different country each year, with priorities including carbon emission reduction targets, climate finance, and adaptation strategies.
As one might expect from such a large and diverse gathering, COP has been hampered in the past by significant disagreements and foot dragging. After twenty-nine years of COP negotiations we are still waiting for large scale climate action- in particular the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, for better or worse, this is the primary platform where compromises and negotiations can take place. COP will never be perfect, but it remains extremely important for holding nations to account, pushing for greater ambition and giving all countries an equal voice.
How to approach it
The most obvious topic to cover here is how COP actually functions, what it discusses, and what it decides. What should be highlighted here are the values behind the processes and bureaucracy. For example, it might be useful to cover the UN’s ethos of collaboration and consensus, sustainable development and compromise. UN matters is a great introduction to the functions of the UN that can offer some useful background information.
Additionally, show that beyond emissions figures there are human and environmental consequences to what is being discussed here. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) need climate action to save their islands from sea level rise and developing and vulnerable countries need financing for climate adaptation. InterClimate Network’s COP29 resource is useful here. In the pack students are briefed on how COP negotiations take place and assigned different countries to research. Next, they perform mock negotiations on behalf of their assigned countries, exploring how commitments and compromises are made based on the needs and priorities of different countries.
Want more advice on COP? Check out our article on COP29.
Organised by
United Nations
Conversation starter
Climate change is more than politicians in suits talking about ‘emissions targets’. Can you think of one way that climate change is affecting people around the world today? How about in 50 years? What about 100?
