Mid-way through a global ‘super-year’ of elections and in the context of new institutional and programming cycles for the EU and AU, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is set to be hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan, at which parties are expected to agree on a crucial New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG).
This will be a test for countries to show commitment and mend eroded trust that international cooperation can effectively tackle current challenges that hinge on climate change. At the heart of these challenges lies the climate-health nexus, elevated at COP28 and most recently at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, where member states adopted a resolution acknowledging insufficient financing as a significant barrier to developing resilient and sustainable health systems.
With countries expected to enhance their next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), it’s crucial that a ONE health approach is adopted and for countries to secure the technical capacities and financial resources to deliver on commitments. Accessibility, quality, and predictability of climate finance, as well as honouring climate finance commitments, together with innovative finance, will play a critical role in operationalising revised NDCs. It will also contribute to future-proofing, climate-proofing and integrating the development and health agendas.
Read more from the concept note below
