COP29: Africa's patience with climate talks wears thin

As the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, a growing cloud of disillusionment hangs over climate-related talks.

Of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change, a staggering 17 are located in Africa. African leaders and citizens are raising their voices louder than ever, demanding accountability and concrete measures to combat the climate crisis. African countries are grappling with severe droughts, floods, and escalating food insecurity, all exacerbated by climate change.

Disgruntled citizens say that with every passing year, promises of climate-related financing and meaningful global cooperation remain just that — promises.

Dan Kaburu, a Nairobi resident who spoke to DW, said his hope for a breakthrough at COP29 is waning. "The current COP happening in Baku doesn't matter much, because when we look at the previous COPs, there are a lot of promises but nothing much to show for them" said Kaburu. "It doesn't make a lot of sense when the global leaders meet and always have these exchanges or move goalposts,” he said.

In Malawi, citizen Angella Phiri expressed frustration over the lack of obvious outcome: "We need tangible results."

Meanwhile Ghanian student Safiyya Muhammad Ikileel questioned the feasibility of the summit's goals. "If these same people have big companies and support industrialization, if they want to make things okay, that means industrialization has to slow down or stop," she said. "And I don't think we are at the point in this world now where industrialization is going to stop."

Africa lacks funding

Zeynab Wandati, Sustainability and Climate Editor at Nation Media Group, has been following the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan with measured hope. Having observed years of climate negotiations, she reflected on the progress and challenges for Africa.

She highlighted the Loss and Damage Fund set up at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh as a milestone. This fund aims to provide financial assistance to nations most vulnerable and impacted by the effects of climate change. However, Wandati noted it still lacked substantial funding. "The African group is not very happy with how things are going at the COP29, because they say it's very likely that Africa might walk away with nothing," she added.

Climate change is contributing to a global increase in temperatures and making water scarce, including in NamibiaImage: Thomas Sbampato/imageBROKER/picture alliance

Baku's climate contradictions

Wandati further outlined the hypocrisy of global leaders, particularly highlighting Azerbaijan's heavy reliance on fossil fuels and its contradictory stance on climate action.

"There are over 1700 fossil fuel lobbies at this COP," Wandati noted. "The president of Azerbaijan said in his opening address that fossil fuels are a gift from God. This caused outrage particularly amongst groups from the Global South. They felt that if that's what the president himself feels, how can he be trusted to guide this convention away from fossil fuels, which is an outcome that the Global South wants."

Sena Alouka, Togo's lead agriculture negotiator and chair of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa's Climate and Agroecology Working Group, expressed hope for multilateral dialogue and human-centered solutions. However, he remains critical of the world's major CO2 emitters. He notes that some of the world's wealthiest nations, have repeatedly been accused of stalling meaningful progress during climate negotiations.

The same countries have been reluctant to make firm commitments on reducing emissions and providing climate financing. "These big emitters don't want to commit, they don't want to pay their share, and they try to delay all types of negotiations" Sena Alouka told DW.

He points out that instead of fully backing initiatives like the Loss and Damage Fund or committing to phasing out fossil fuels, such countries often water down binding language, for example. The reluctance to pay their fair share and prioritize climate equity continues to frustrate vulnerable nations, who bear the brunt of climate impacts despite having minimal resources.

Africa's big ask: $1.3 trillion

The African Group of Negotiators (AGN) are now demanding $1.3 trillion annually in climate financing from 2025 to 2030 starting next year.

This ambitious target, part of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), aims to address developing countries' pressing needs for adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage resulting from climate change.The funding request replaces a previous demand for $100 billion per year, which was seen as a drop in the ocean.

Leaders of vulnerable countries say only equitable financial support will help them adapt and build resilience to climate change-related challenges. Alouka stressed that the demand was rooted in justice.

"We are not begging for charity or for solidarity. It's in the very first Article of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change that developed countries should support developing countries or countries that are affected by the climate crisis with financing, technology, and other means," he said.

Trump returns climate concerns

Donald Trump's presidential win has reignited fears about the US backtracking on climate commitments. With leaders like Argentina's President Javier Milei also sharing climate change-related skepticism, delegates worry political will is fading just as global action becomes more urgent.

Wandati warns of the potential consequences of a Trump presidency on global climate efforts, citing Argentina's withdrawal from COP29 as a concerning precedent.

"When world leaders come here, they make such big promises. However, when it's time for the rubber to hit the road in the negotiation rooms, their negotiators do the exact opposite."