Challenges Loom Ahead of COP29: Nasheed on Climate Finance and the Political Deadlock

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed emphasized that the upcoming UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, will face significant challenges. Nasheed, as Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, underscored the need for a new finance goal to address the political impasse on climate action.

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed has voiced concerns over the expected difficulties in negotiations at the upcoming UN climate conference in Baku. Speaking in an interview, Nasheed stressed that reaching an agreement on a new finance goal is crucial to overcoming the political deadlock on climate action.

Nasheed, who serves as the Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), highlighted that Azerbaijan will have to demonstrate its commitment to negotiating elevated commitments at COP29. The CVF consists of 68 developing countries highly vulnerable to climate change, representing 1.74 billion people.

He clarified that climate finance should be viewed as a responsibility, involving trillions rather than billions of dollars, and stated that resolving the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) is central to breaking the political impasse.

(With inputs from agencies.)