The outcomes of COP29 in Baku revealed progress – but also systemic fault lines that can jeopardise meaningful climate action. Hope and collaboration matter more than ever.
The tension at this year's UN climate summit, billed as the "finance COP", was undeniable. As in previous years, it revealed deep fractures. Petrostate Azerbaijan hosted the conference amidst protests and walkouts, with its President Ilham Aliyev referring to fossil fuels as a "gift of God". This remark alone exemplified the glaring contradictions in global climate policy: while nations pledge to fight the climate crisis, many remain deeply entrenched in the very industries driving it.
And yet, amidst the chaos, a persistent theme of hope emerges. Sixteen-year-old Eleonor Borges (Lycée Robert Schuman) was one of six delegates to participate as part of the Youth4Climate Action project, supported by Eurosolar Lëtzebuerg asbl. After the first week of the conference, Youth4Climate Action issued a press release calling for action, regretting the apparent tokenism of youth inclusion and the lack of concrete action among "adults". "What we had to do was take notes. What would be impactful? What would shock people if we were to talk about this topic?", Eleonor recounts – but actual participation was virtually impossible.
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