In a letter to parties, UNFCCC COP 29 President Designate Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, outlined initiatives, platforms, campaigns, and outcomes that will shape the ‘COP 29 Action Agenda’ – a “collective global effort” that seeks “to build momentum to enhance ambition and enable action and move forward in solidarity for a green world.”

Dated 17 September 2024, the letter states that through its initiatives, the Presidency endeavors to “address all climate pillars, involve global, regional, national and subnational groups, take a holistic view of sustainable development, and include all demographics within an inclusive process that delivers inclusive outcomes.” The idea is to bring stakeholders together to raise their levels of commitment and to develop efficiencies and synergies, informed by the first Global Stocktake (GST), among other milestones.

The 20-page letter includes 16 annexes summarizing the Presidency’s initiatives and anticipated outcomes and outlining the COP 29 agenda and thematic days.

The Presidency’s initiatives include:

• Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF), to be capitalized through voluntary contributions from fossil fuel producing countries and companies;
• Baku Initiative for Climate Finance, Investment and Trade (BICFIT), to promote investment in green diversification, support policy development, and share expertise through dialogue;
• Baku Initiative on Human Development for Climate Resilience, to catalyze investment in education, establish COP-to-COP continuity, and enhance environmental literacy;
• Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers, to identify synergies and gaps, facilitate finance, and foster collaboration on agriculture, food, and water, including by empowering local communities and women in rural areas; and
• Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform (BTP), to support developing countries in the preparation and submission of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) under the Paris Agreement.

Additional initiatives span the areas of green energy, energy storage and grids, hydrogen, green digital action, methane reduction from organic waste, resilient and healthy cities, climate action in tourism, and water for climate action.

The World Leaders Climate Action Summit, taking place from 12-13 November, will seek to build consensus and momentum around the vision of enhancing ambition and enabling action and “demonstrate to all stakeholders that there is clear political will to deliver.”

Thematic days to be hosted by the COP 29 Presidency during the UN Climate Change Conference include:

• Finance, Investment, and Trade (14 November);
• Energy/Peace, Relief, and Recovery (15 November);
• Science, Technology, and Innovation/Digitalization (16 November);
• Human Development/Children and Youth/Health/Education (18 November);
• Food, Water, and Agriculture (19 November);
• Urbanization/Transport/Tourism (20 November); and
• Indigenous Peoples/Gender Equality/Nature and Biodiversity/Oceans and Coastal Zones (21 November).

According to the letter, COP 29 will feature cross-sectoral programming on climate finance, investment, and trade, as well as on human development. Gender equality and youth empowerment will be considered throughout the thematic days and initiatives. [COP 29 Presidency Action Agenda Letter]