Qatar’s delegation will be headed by the Gulf state’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Qatar is among the nations represented at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 11.

Qatar’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie is spearheading the Gulf state’s delegation.

On the sidelines of the conference, Al Subaie held meetings with several officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran and Japan.

Qatar and Iran have discussed ways for boosting cooperation during a meeting between Al Subaie and head of Iran’s Department of Environment, Shina Ansari ahead of the conference.

Ansari pointed out that Iran and Qatar were among countries most affected by climate change, namely by sand and dust storms (SDSs). 

“Climate change has already impacted several provinces and caused severe environmental issues in the country. However, addressing the consequences of climate change requires collaborative efforts of regional countries,’ Ansari said.

Al Subaie participated in the opening session of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, inaugurated by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan H E Ilham Aliyev.

COP29 will run until November 22, and the nations participating will be expected to reach an agreement that will secure trillions of dollars to bankroll global climate projects.

Nations will touch upon key issues such as climate finance, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, climate adaptation, climate justice, public-private sector cooperation, and measures to enhance the transition to renewable energy.

In 2009, wealthy countries promised to provide $100 billion a year in financial support to developing nations to deal with the costs of transitioning to cleaner energy sources.

The payments started to roll in 10 years later, in 2020. The payments were only fully met in 2022 and this year, the $100 billion pledge expires.

COP29 is expected to be a critical platform to look back at years prior and gauge global progress in the fight against climate change, as well as a chance to birth new policies.

As a part of its commitments to combating climate change, Qatar has launched a series of national policies to adapt to the impacts of this global issue.

This includes the National Climate Change and Environment Strategy, the National Climate Action Plan 2030, and the Third National Development Strategy.

In October, Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future organised the fourth edition of the two-day Qatar National Dialogue on Climate Change (QNDCC) 2024.

The event brought together leaders from government, industry and academia to foster a collective response to these pressing issues and focused on Qatar’s climate adaptation strategies, carbon management and eco-tourism. The outcomes of COP28 and the roadmap towards COP29 were also formed.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reported that 2024 was the hottest year in history.