BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 12. Kazakhstan is facing serious consequences of climate change, Special Representative of the President of Kazakhstan for International Environmental Cooperation Zulfiya Suleimenova said at a panel discussion on the topic "Connecting the Dots: Implementable and Investment-Ready NDCs" at COP29 in Baku, Trend reports.
"I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all participants for their exemplary leadership in advancing climate action for Kazakhstan. This is an issue of paramount importance, as limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius translates to a projected temperature increase of 2.5 degrees in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Therefore, for us, a rise of 2.5 degrees represents an optimistic scenario, albeit one fraught with significant risks. Your commitment and efforts are crucial in navigating these challenges and safeguarding our future," she said.
Suleimenova underscored the devastating impact of this year's severe floods in Kazakhstan, which have inundated over half the nation. This disaster has imposed substantial strain on the national budget, compelling the government to redirect crucial funds from development initiatives, renewable energy projects, and decarbonization efforts toward the urgent task of rebuilding homes and businesses. She emphasized that such extreme weather events underscore the critical importance of the discussions taking place today.
Furthermore, she highlighted that addressing climate change through both adaptation and mitigation is essential. The need for financing adaptation measures is increasingly pressing; however, if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, even greater resources will be required for effective adaptation in the future.
To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) has started in Baku. The decision was made at the plenary session of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for “Conference of Parties” and is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A total of 198 countries are parties to the Convention. Unless otherwise decided by the parties, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.
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