Crucial talks on climate finance still “risk falling short”, the Cop29 presidency has said.
Cop29 president-designate Mukhtar Babayev said some progress has been made but countries need to put aside rigid negotiating positions and compromise.
Finance is expected to dominate Cop29 in Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22, with countries still deadlocked on how to deliver more funds to help vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.
Mr Babayev’s comments came on Thursday at the conclusion of technical talks in Baku that ran from September 9 to 12 and sought to lay the groundwork for a breakthrough.
“We are on the right track and have come a long way but we still risk falling short,” said Mr Babayev in a statement. “Determination and leadership is needed from all parties to bridge the gaps that still divide us in this critical final phase.”
Cop29 will be staged in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, and the pressure is on the gas-rich nation on the Caspian Sea to deliver.
Countries need to agree a new financial target to replace the $100 billion-a-year pledge from developed countries to help developing countries deal with climate change.
The money is sorely needed in vulnerable countries on the frontlines of the crisis that lack the funds to transition from fossil fuels and become more resilient to the impact of climate change, from floods to drought.
The financial target is formally known as the “new collective quantified goal” but, as the recent talks show, countries remain some way from clinching a deal.
Wealthier countries are facing calls to provide more funds to assist developing countries. But parties remain at loggerheads over how much to pay and several have pushed China and Gulf countries to contribute.
Mr Babayev said the recent talks mark the beginning of the end, and now a substantive framework for a draft negotiation text on the finance goal would be developed.
This framework would serve as the basis for the presidency’s final period of intensive political and technical engagements ahead of what is hoped will be a deal at Cop29 that is “fair and ambitious” that “takes into account the needs and priorities of developing country parties”.
“This is our top negotiating priority for Cop29 in Baku, with these meetings offering a critical opportunity to make progress in realising this ambition,” said Mr Babayev.
Preparations are in full swing at Baku Stadium, the Cop29 venue. Photos posted to social media show Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan's president, visiting the site. Organisers previously said they were expecting up to 50,000 attendees.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
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The Saudi Cup race card
1 The Jockey Club Local Handicap (TB) 1,800m (Dirt) $500,000
2 The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (TB) 1,200m (D) $1.500,000
3 The 1351 Turf Sprint 1,351m (Turf) $1,000,000
4 The Saudi Derby (TB) 1600m (D) $800,000
5 The Neom Turf Cup (TB) 2,100m (T) $1,000,000
6 The Obaiya Arabian Classic (PB) 2,000m (D) $1,900,000
7 The Red Sea Turf Handicap (TB) 3,000m (T) $2,500,000
8 The Saudi Cup (TB) 1,800m (D) $20,000,000
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
