BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. As part of COP29 in Baku, Trend News Agency proudly presents COP for Hope, a special project offering an unparalleled platform to hear from world leaders and trailblazers in politics, economics, science, and ecology, all united by a shared commitment to addressing today’s pressing climate challenges.
Our latest interviewee was Viliami Tolei Manu, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry of Tonga.
In an exclusive interview with Trend, Manu stressed that climate finance should not be viewed as a charity but as a global investment.
“We are committed to the 1.5-degree target amidst the growing challenge of carbon emissions,” he said.
He also shed a light on the numerous environmental disasters popping up all over the globe.
“For example, in Spain, thousands of people are currently suffering from floods. Additionally, the wildfires in Australia are another clear example. These events show that climate change and environmental issues affect not only developing nations but also developed countries. As a result, we must mobilize collective action.
In our region, cyclones follow a seasonal pattern, and every four years we see rising temperatures, with droughts becoming more severe every 20 years, while river water levels continue to rise. The world must unite to tackle this entire climate crisis together,” he added.
The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will run until November 22, opened on November 11 at the Baku Olympic Stadium. The event is the largest organized by Azerbaijan to date and is the first time the region has hosted the event in Azerbaijan.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance.
The COP29 chairmanship has launched 14 initiatives that include linkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals, including green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, action on green digital technologies, and other topics.
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