COP29: Climate vulnerable nations walk out of overtime talks

Delegations representing several small and impoverished nations severely threatened by climate change walked out of consultations on Saturday as UN climate talks in Azerbaijan went far into overtime without clinching a deal to help the nations most at risk.

"We're here as a group of AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States) and LDCs (Least Developed Countries). We've just walked out," said Cedric Schuster, the Samoan chairman of the group.

"We came here to this COP for a fair deal. We feel that we haven't been heard, and there's a deal to be made, and we have not been consulted ... [W]e've walked out because at the moment, we don't feel that we are being heard," Schuster said.

Germany's Baerbock called out rich fossil fuel emitters who she said have "ripped off" climate vulnerable statesImage: Murad Sezer/REUTERS

'Still committed'

Later, AOSIS issued a statement saying it remained "committed to this process."

"We have presently removed ourselves from the stalled NCQG (New Collective Quantified Goal) discussions, which were not offering a progressive way forward," it said.

"We want nothing more than to continue to engage, but the process must be INCLUSIVE," it went on, adding: "If this cannot be the case, it becomes very difficult for us to continue our involvement here at COP29."

Germany accuses rich oil states of deceptive manoeuvres

The walkout comes as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock slammed rich fossil fuel emitters, whom she accused of having "ripped off" those states most at risk from climate change.

"We are in the midst of a geopolitical power play by a few fossil fuel states," Baerbock said.

She warned against reversing last year's climate resolutions while trying to increase climate aid for poorer countries.

She said that funding for climate aid and reducing harmful emissions are closely linked. "Money alone won't save the world," Baerbock stated.

"We have to do everything to come toward the 1.5 degree (Celsius, 2.7 Fahrenheit) pathway," she added, referring to the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below that temperature limit compared with preindustrial times.

Dissatisfaction among at-risk nations backsliding on commitments to
slash fossil fuels

Developing nations have asked for $1.3 trillion (€1.25 trillion) to help them adapt to the immediate consquences of climate change, such as droughts, floods, rising sea levels and extreme heat.

They say that sum would also help pay for losses and damages caused by extreme weather events, and aid them to wean their energy production from fossil fuels. 

An official draft on Friday pledged $250 billion annually by 2035.

Although that more than doubles the previous goal of $100 billion set 15 years ago, it falls far short of the demands of at-risk nations.

A rough draft for a deal discussed on Saturday was for more, sources said, but still not in line with developing nations' demands.

More to follow.

tj/lo (AFP, AP)