Azerbaijan, summit host, warns that COP29 will not succeed without G20 support

Azerbaijan, the host of the COP29 Climate Summit, said that leaders from the world's largest economies should send a strong message about the urgency to combat global warming.

The appeal came at a meeting of the Group of 20 leaders (G20) in Brazil, where climate was just one of many topics on their agenda. Others included war in Ukraine and Donald Trump's victory in the election.

Nearly 200 countries gathered in Baku for COP29 are aiming to reach an agreement on how to finance climate projects worth trillions of dollars. Talks on a new financing goal and cutting carbon emissions have stalled.

Mukhtar Babaev, COP29 president, said: "We can't succeed without them and the world waits to hear their voices." He added that they account for 85% global GDP and 80% emissions.

"We urge them use the G20 to send a strong signal about their commitment to address the climate crisis. "We want them to give clear directives for COP29," he said at a press event in Baku.

Before the text was seen, it was unclear what the G20 had agreed on and how this would impact the talks in Azerbaijan, which are now in their second week.

Simon Stiell, the U.N. chief for climate change, warned those leaders that are expected to arrive in order to push forward a deal not to waste their time with "bluffing and brinksmanship, or premeditated game plans".

He said: "Let's stop the show and get to the real business."

FOSSIL FUELS

A second area of contention has been the question of how to implement a deal reached in Dubai last summer on the transition away from climate-damaging fuels.

The dispute has delayed the beginning of negotiations and appears to have had little impact on resolution.

The Arab nations and European countries are at odds over the importance of the future of fossil-fuels and the accountability of countries for their promises made last year.

Sally Cox of Australia, who spoke for the Umbrella Group that includes Japan and the United States said they were "deeply dissatisfied" with some parties because they had "repeatedly obstructed progress".

Cox, without naming any specific countries, added that "substantive outcomes on these issues will be crucial at COP29".

Azerbaijan should follow the lead of previous COP Presidency and guide the negotiations towards an agreement, according to groups including the European Union.

Wopke hoekstra, EU climate chief said: "That's been the case in every COP. It is certainly the case this COP." (With additional reporting from William James, Simon Jessop, and Gloria Dickie; editing by Alexander Smith).

(source: Reuters)