At the opening of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Simon Stiell, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), delivered a speech emphasizing the urgent need for serious action to address the climate crisis. He began by commending the role of the UAE, under the leadership of Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, before the baton was passed to Azerbaijan under President Babayev.

Stiell stressed that climate action requires sincere and realistic efforts, far from mere dreams and aspirations, and shared a personal story of his neighbor Florence, who lost her home due to climate-related disasters. He highlighted that the challenges faced by people worldwide, like Florence, justify the need for a strong and unified global response through the UN process.

He noted that the UNFCCC process is effective, explaining that without it, the world would be heading towards five degrees of global warming. Stiell also warned of the significant economic and social challenges countries may face if they fail to reduce emissions and build resilience in supply chains.

During his speech, he called on parties to agree on a new global target for climate finance, stressing that climate finance is not a matter of charity but a vital investment for all nations, including the wealthiest and largest. He also emphasized the need to reform the global financial system to provide the financial space that countries need to tackle climate challenges.

Regarding national commitments, Stiell highlighted the importance of finalizing Article 6 on international carbon markets and continuing efforts to achieve agreed-upon mitigation targets. He stressed that the world must not give up on the 1.5-degree Celsius goal.

Stiell also pointed out that clean energy investments in 2024 will exceed trillion, urging acceleration of this transition to benefit all nations and people. He emphasized the need to measure progress in adaptation indicators and to develop financial and technical support mechanisms to help countries address loss and damage.

Stiell concluded by underscoring the importance of transparency in climate reporting and updating national climate plans next year. He called on parties in Baku to collaborate to achieve concrete results and ended his message with an appeal to demonstrate that global cooperation remains undefeated and capable of meeting this great challenge.