COP29 verdict: climate summits must turn over a new leaf

Global Witness critiques COP29 as a 'playground for fossil fuel lobbyists,' noting that the summit failed to mention a transition away from oil and gas and provided insufficient climate finance for developing nations. The organization highlights systemic flaws, including the hosting of summits in petrostates and the repression of civil society in Azerbaijan, while calling for structural reforms to prioritize vulnerable communities over polluting industries.

• The new collective quantified goal for climate finance (NCQG) established a target of $300 billion annually from developed countries, which falls significantly short of the $1.3 trillion requested by developing nations.
• The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage is set to become operational in 2025, but its total funding of $720 million is far below the estimated $671 billion in annual damages expected by 2030.
• COP29 failed to include language regarding a transition away from fossil fuels, reversing the progress made in the final text of COP28.
• The summit was characterized by a power imbalance, with 1,773 fossil fuel lobbyists granted access while civil society faced barriers and the host government of Azerbaijan repressed dissent through arbitrary arrests and restrictive laws.
• An undercover investigation by Global Witness revealed the COP29 CEO discussing new oil and gas deals with a fictional company and suggesting that oil and gas production might continue "perhaps forever."

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). COP29 verdict: climate summits must turn over a new leaf. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/cop29-verdict-climate-summits-must-turn-over-a-new-leaf/

Chicago

Global Witness. COP29 verdict: climate summits must turn over a new leaf. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/cop29-verdict-climate-summits-must-turn-over-a-new-leaf/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=COP29 verdict: climate summits must turn over a new leaf |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/cop29-verdict-climate-summits-must-turn-over-a-new-leaf/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndcop29, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{COP29 verdict: climate summits must turn over a new leaf}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/cop29-verdict-climate-summits-must-turn-over-a-new-leaf/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }