Climate Stakes High at U.N. Summit Amid U.S. Uncertainty
At the U.N. climate summit in Baku, U.S. envoy John Podesta warned of the impact of Donald Trump's potential policies on global warming efforts. Despite Trump's stance, the U.S. will continue clean energy investments. Discussions included financing for developing countries and trade issues affecting climate actions.
Amid growing concerns at the U.N. climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, U.S. climate envoy John Podesta reassured governments of the United States' commitment to combating global warming. The impending presidency of Donald Trump, who has vowed to withdraw the U.S. from international climate agreements and to expand fossil fuel production, has caused anxiety among delegates. However, Podesta emphasized that the transition toward clean energy would continue, citing the Inflation Reduction Act and state-level emissions regulations as key drivers of progress.
The talks in Baku are overshadowed by economic challenges and ongoing conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and Gaza. Nonetheless, central to the summit's agenda was securing climate finance for developing nations, aiming to secure up to $1 trillion annually. U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell rallied support by highlighting the mutual benefits of such finance for both rich and poor countries alike. Despite prolonged discussions, countries agreed to focus on topics from the previous year's COP28 agreement related to transitioning from fossil fuels.
Trade tensions were also a point of contention, particularly China's concerns about trade policies on the COP29 agenda. Beijing later opted for informal discussions instead, amid worries that climate commitments might falter without strong leadership from major emitters like the U.S. Podesta urged China to align its emissions cuts with the Paris Agreement's goals, reinforcing the collaborative effort needed to limit global warming effectively.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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