Diplomacy 101: Undiplomatically Speaking
Where Beliefs Clash and Stories Flash
COP29 Begins: Emissions, Expectations, and the Elephant in the Room
COP29 opened in Baku, Azerbaijan, amid record global temperatures and widening diplomatic fault lines. While the host nation emphasized “energy transition diplomacy,” critics noted that Azerbaijan’s continued gas exports undercut the summit’s moral authority. The U.S. and EU pushed hard for fossil fuel phase-out language, while China and India continued advocating for “phase-down” and “common but differentiated responsibilities.”
Pacific Island nations issued a joint plea for loss-and-damage delivery frameworks to be finalized this year. Germany and Canada pledged new funds, but African states remain skeptical of donor follow-through. The G77+China bloc is demanding binding commitments, not pledges, further complicating consensus.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia quietly hosted side meetings with energy ministers from Brazil and Indonesia to float ideas for an OPEC-style cartel for critical minerals—potentially reshaping the geopolitics of green transition inputs.