BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. It is necessary to have a coordinated approach on NDCs, NAPs, NBSAPs, and land degradation neutrality reports, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Inger Andersen said in Azerbaijan's Baku, Trend reports.
She made the remark during a high-level dialog on “Enhancing knowledge exchange between conventions to ensure ecosystem sustainability” of the Rio Trio (Colombia, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia) initiative within COP29.
“We need a coordinated approach on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), and land degradation neutrality reports. You can't have the same people doing these tasks over and over again. This is not just about the three conventions. It's about the many conventions that countries have signed, which we value very much. At UNEP, we have 17 such conventions, including the “chemical” conventions - Basel, Rotterdam, Minamata, Stockholm, and soon, hopefully, the Plastic Convention. There is a link between all of them. It's the Montreal Protocol, for example: by reducing chlorinated gases, we are not only affecting climate change but also protecting biodiversity and everything that grows on our land. Similarly, when we reduce plastic pollution in the environment, we not only enhance our food production but also avert flooding from plastic-clogged gutters, a problem that primarily impacts the poorest individuals residing in low-lying regions. Overuse of fertilizers leads to the harmful release of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. Everything is connected to everyone. Therefore, we must integrate NDCs, NAPs, NBSAPs, and plans to combat desertification. This is the only way forward,” she emphasized.
To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will last until November 22, was opened at the Baku Olympic Stadium on November 11. 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 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) means “Conference of Parties” and is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A whopping 198 countries have thrown their hats in the ring as parties to the Convention. Unless the parties decide to change the game plan, COP takes place once a year. The inaugural COP event took place in March 1995 in the bustling city of Berlin, Germany, with its secretariat nestled in Bonn.
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