BAKU: The COP29 presidency openly exhibited its inability to relieve the deadlock on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance with countries refusing to budge from their respective positions.
In a desperate appeal during a press meet on Monday, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev urged the G20 leaders, who are meeting in Rio, Brazil, for a bailout.
"The G20 account for 85% of global GDP and 80% of emissions. Their leadership is essential for all pillars of the Paris Agreement from finance to mitigation and adaptation. We cannot succeed without them and the world is waiting to hear from them. We urge them to use the G20 meeting to send a positive signal of their commitment to addressing the climate crisis. We want them to provide a clear mandate to deliver at COP29. This is their chance to show their leadership," Babayev said.
He admitted that the highest possible level of ambition ($1.3 trillion) is difficult, but requested the countries to continue to work towards achieving an ambitious target.
The UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell also lashed out at countries for burning precious time in theatrics.
"Bluffing, brinkmanship and premeditated gameplay is burning our precious time. The bottom line is we are a long way from halving the global emission this decade," he said.
To a question on whether negotiating tracks on mitigation work programme and Loss & Damage were being held hostage by NCQG, Stiell said it was for the parties to decide.
"We are now at halfway point and negotiations have not been easy. Today, we are moving from technical to political negotiations. So let see how this week goes."
On expectations from the ministerial statement from G20 summit, which will take place in Rio on November 18-19, he said the G20 and UNFCCC processes are two separate things. Of course, decisions taken during G20 summit will have global implications, but "we are currently focused on COP29 outcomes here in Baku."
Adding to Stiell's views, the COP29 President once again requested the G20 leaders to put climate action at the centre of their discussions and demonstrate leadership.