COP29 Leaders Clash on Urgent Climate Change Strategies

AFP/APP

Baku: Global leaders clashed over strategies to combat climate change at UN-led COP29 talks in Azerbaijan on Wednesday, amid stark warnings that the timeline to achieve carbon neutrality must accelerate significantly to curb global warming.

A report by the Global Carbon Project revealed a record high in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels this year, underscoring the urgency.

The report suggests that, to align with the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius, net-zero CO2 emissions must be reached by the late 2030s — rather than the previously targeted 2050.

This urgent call to action coincides with divisive speeches from leaders in Baku, where some defended the continued use of fossil fuels while others, representing nations devastated by climate impacts, pressed for immediate intervention.