A senior delegation of the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) has joined Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dr Dion George, who is leading the South African delegation to COP29, being held from November 11 to 22  in Baku, in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The delegation is led by PCC executive director and deputy chairperson designate Dr Crispian Olver and comprises four commissioners representing local government, labour, civil society and business from South Africa. 

COP29 convenes under the Theme “In solidarity for a green world” and is expected to build on outcomes emanating from COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, with a solid vision based on the two reinforcing pillars of enhanced ambition and enabled action. 

It aims to develop more ambitious climate targets, particularly climate finance, to ensure implementation and to focus on intensifying efforts to quantify resources for developing countries to meet ambitious climate targets.

The PCC says it anticipates COP29 to practically address the operationalisation, financing and resourcing of the Loss and Damage Fund, which was agreed upon at COP28, with the priority being on garnering pledges for the fund and building on the $700-million that has already been pledged. 

Importantly, and more than ever, international ambition should remain focused on limiting global warming to a rapidly closing target of 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels, to avoid wide-scale, frequent harm to the planet, the PCC says.

"COP29 comes at the end of a deadly year characterised by natural disasters and severe weather events, with significant impacts on lives and livelihoods in large parts of Africa, exacerbating existing inequalities, including poverty and unemployment and exacerbating humanitarian crises in conflict zones for many citizens of the world, including the Sudanese and Palestinians that have been displaced by war, or do not have access to basic resources and services, floods, poor rainfall and high temperatures have exacerbated already unbearable conditions,” said Olver.  

The PCC has partnered with the National Business Initiative to host a number of dialogues and side events at the South African pavilion at Baku Stadium on the sidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change climate negotiations that will showcase the work being done by various South African organisations to raise awareness, adapt to, and mitigate climate change. 

“It is essential that negotiators at COP29 do not fail the people who are impacted most by climate change, particularly those that do not have the means to deal with the impacts of climate change or recover from climate-related disasters that impact their lives, livelihoods and communities.

“As the PCC, we have full confidence in our negotiating team and I encourage all South Africans to have conviction on the delegation that their right to not be left behind will be represented as the world charts a renewed path to address the global crisis of climate change,” added Olver.