A Continent in Focus: COP29 Outcomes and Implications for Africa

This policy brief by the Africa Policy Research Institute analyzes the outcomes of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, focusing on the implications for African nations. It evaluates the conference's results across key themes including climate finance, adaptation, loss and damage, energy transition, and gender inclusivity, arguing that while some incremental progress was made, the outcomes largely failed to meet the scale of the climate crisis and the specific needs of the Global South.

• COP29 established the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG), increasing the annual pledge from the 2009 goal of USD 300 billion to USD 1.3 trillion by 2035. This new goal allows for voluntary contributions from developing countries, including China. However, developing nations criticized the sum as inadequate, with representatives from Nigeria and India describing it as an 'insult' and a 'paltry sum'.
• African nations expressed strong opposition to the inclusion of private investments, market-rate loans, and export credits within the NCQG, arguing that public grants are essential to address historical climate injustices. Leaders from Angola, Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia specifically rejected these profit-driven mechanisms.
• Progress on adaptation was marked by the launch of the Baku Adaptation Roadmap and a support programme for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to implement National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) by 2025. However, negotiations stalled over 'means of implementation' (MOI) indicators, resulting in a compromise that used the softer term 'enablers of implementation'.
• The Loss and Damage Fund saw operational progress, including the signing of agreements with the World Bank and the Philippines, with total contributions reaching USD 759 million. Despite this, developed countries successfully resisted including loss and damage as a core component or sub-goal of the NCQG.
• The Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) and energy transition negotiations faced significant setbacks. A revised JTWP text removed key references and failed to reach consensus, while decisions on phasing out fossil fuels were postponed. This was exemplified by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev describing fossil fuel resources as a 'gift from God'.
• COP29 achieved specific mitigation milestones, including an agreement on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement regarding international carbon markets and a 'Reducing Methane from Organic Waste' declaration signed by 30 countries. However, the Mitigation Work Programme (MWP) ended in deadlock over the terminology of support for developing countries.
• Gender inclusivity remained a point of contention, with some parties—including Russia, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Vatican—opposing specific gender language due to concerns over LGBTQ+ and transgender rights. Despite this, parties agreed to extend the Lima Work Programme on Gender for another 10 years.

APA

Covaiselvan, S., & Mbungu, G. (2025). A Continent in Focus: COP29 Outcomes and Implications for Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/a-continent-in-focus-cop29-outcomes-and-implications-for-africa

Chicago

Covaiselvan, Swetha, and Grace Mbungu. A Continent in Focus: COP29 Outcomes and Implications for Africa. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/a-continent-in-focus-cop29-outcomes-and-implications-for-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Covaiselvan |first1=Swetha |last2=Mbungu |first2=Grace |title=A Continent in Focus: COP29 Outcomes and Implications for Africa |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=13 January 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/a-continent-in-focus-cop29-outcomes-and-implications-for-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{covaiselvan2025continent, author = {Covaiselvan, Swetha and Mbungu, Grace}, title = {{A Continent in Focus: COP29 Outcomes and Implications for Africa}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://afripoli.org/a-continent-in-focus-cop29-outcomes-and-implications-for-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }