"Finance Summit" is a term that can be heard in all the corridors of the COP29 climate conference that began its work a few days ago in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. Trillions of dollars are being talked about in various funds to finance projects and initiatives to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of climate change and the possibility of dealing with it all over the world.
It seems like a "cake" that everyone wants to share, or rather, control as much of it as possible. Over the days, and wherever I wandered in the large conference pavilions located inside and around the Baku Olympic Stadium, the number "one trillion dollars" jumped out at me. There were negotiators from all over the world, experts and activists wearing colorful ribbons around their necks that read "Pay Trillions", events and conferences around the clock, as if this year would be the decisive factor.
As I watched this frantic race, I could not help but wonder: Where does the Arab region fit—a region that has been afflicted for decades by endless conflicts and wars that have destroyed large parts of its infrastructure and incalculable climate consequences—within these discussions, negotiations, and funds? Are we getting what we need? Where is the gap?
This story was produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews' Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. It was first published in Arabic in Raseef22 on November 18, 2024. It has been translated to English and lightly edited for length and clarity.
Banner image: The Azerbaijan pavilion at COP29 / Credit: Zeina Shahla.
Zeina Adnan Shahla
