Baku: The COP29 climate talks open Monday in Azerbaijan, under the long shadow cast by the re-election of Donald Trump, who has pledged to row back on the United States’ carbon-cutting commitments.
Countries come to Baku for the main United Nations forum for climate diplomacy after new warnings that 2024 is on track to break temperature records, adding urgency to a fractious debate over climate funding.
But Trump’s return will loom over the discussions, with fears that an imminent US departure from the landmark Paris agreement to limit global warming could mean less ambition around the negotiating table.
“We cannot afford to let the momentum for global action on climate change be derailed,” said Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate change and environment.
“This is a shared problem that will not solve itself without international cooperation, and we will continue to make that case to the incoming president of one of the world’s largest polluters.”
Outgoing President Joe Biden is staying away, as are many leaders who have traditionally appeared early in COP talks to lend weight to the proceedings.
Just a handful of leaders from the Group of 20, whose countries account for nearly 80 percent of global emissions, are attending.
Afghanistan will however be sending a delegation for the first time since the Taliban took power. They are expected to have observer status.
Diplomats have insisted that the absences, and Trump’s win, will not detract from the serious work at hand, particularly agreeing a new figure for climate funding to developing countries.
Negotiators must increase a $100 billion-a-year target to help developing nations prepare for worsening climate impacts and wean their economies off fossil fuels.
How much will be on offer, who will pay, and who can access the funds are some of the major points of contention.
“It’s hard. It involves money. When it comes to money, everybody shows their true colors,” Adonia Ayebare, the Ugandan chair of a bloc that groups over 100 mostly developing countries and China, told AFP on Sunday.
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change a “hoax,” has vowed to pull the United States out of the Paris agreement.
But Ayebare brushed aside the potential consequences of a US withdrawal, noting Trump already took Washington out of the Paris agreement during his first term.
“This has happened before, we will find a way of realigning.”
Developing countries are pushing for trillions of dollars, and insist money should be mostly grants rather than loans.
They warn that without the money they will struggle to offer ambitious updates to their climate goals, which countries are required to submit by early next year.
“Bring some money to the table so that you show your leadership,” said Evans Njewa, chair of the LDC Climate Group, whose members are home to 1.1 billion people.
But the small group of developed countries that currently contributes wants to see the donor pool expanded to include other rich nations and top emitters, including China and the Gulf states.
One Chinese official warned Sunday during a closed-door session that the talks should not aim to “renegotiate” existing agreements.
Liang Pei, an official at China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, urged negotiators to instead address “the climate crisis collectively, constructively.”
The talks come with fresh warnings that the world is far off track to meet the goals of the Paris agreement.
The climate deal commits to keep warming below 2C compared to pre-industrial levels, preferably below 1.5C.
But the world is on track to top that level in 2024, according to the European Union climate monitor.
That would not be an immediate breach of the Paris deal, which measures temperatures over decades, but it suggests much greater climate action is needed.
Earlier this year, the UN warned the world is on track for a catastrophic 3.1C of warming this century based on current actions.
“Everyone knows that these negotiations will not be easy,” said Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“But they are worth it: each tenth of a degree of warming avoided means fewer crises, less suffering, less displacement.”
More than 51,000 people are expected at the talks, which run November 11-22.
For the second year running the talks will be hosted by a country heavily reliant on fossil fuels, after the United Arab Emirates last year.
Azerbaijan has also been accused of stifling dissent by persecuting political opponents, detaining activists and suffocating independent media.
COP29 opens with Trump climate withdrawal looming
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COP29 opens with Trump climate withdrawal looming
- Just a handful of leaders from the Group of 20, whose countries account for nearly 80 percent of global emissions, are attending
EU countries set to approve first retaliation against US tariffs
- The approval will come on the day that Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on the EU and dozens of countries took effect
- The European Commission proposed on Monday extra duties mostly of 25 percent on a range of US imports
The approval will come on the day that Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on the EU and dozens of countries took effect, including massive 104 percent duties on China, extending his tariff onslaught and spurring more widespread selling across financial markets.
The 27-nation bloc faces 25 percent import tariffs on steel and aluminum and cars as well as the new broader tariffs of 20 percent for almost all other goods under Trump’s policy to hit countries he says impose high barriers to US imports.
The European Commission, which coordinates EU trade policy, proposed on Monday extra duties mostly of 25 percent on a range of US imports in response specifically to the US metals tariffs. It is still assessing how to respond to the car and broader levies.
The imports include motorcycles, poultry, fruit, wood, clothing and dental floss, according to a document seen by Reuters. They totaled about €21 billion ($23 billion) last year, meaning the EU’s retaliation will be against goods worth less than the €26 billion of EU metals exports hit by US tariffs.
They are to enter force in stages – on April 15, May 16 and December 1.
A committee of trade experts from the EU’s 27 countries will vote on Wednesday afternoon on the Commission’s proposal, which will only be blocked if a “qualified majority” of 15 EU members representing 65 percent of the EU population vote against.
That is an unlikely event given the Commission has already canvassed EU members and refined an initial list from mid-March, removing US dairy and alcoholic drinks.
Major wine exporters France and Italy had expressed concern after Trump threatened to hit EU wine and spirits with a 200 percent tariff if the EU went ahead with its planned 50 percent duty on bourbon.
Trump has already responded to Beijing’s counter-tariffs announced last week, nearly doubling duties on Chinese imports. China has vowed to “fight to the end.”
Indonesia president says ready to temporarily shelter Gazans
- “We are ready to receive wounded victims,” Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto said
- Wounded Palestinians and “traumatized, orphaned children” would be prioritized, he said.
JAKARTA: Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday said he was prepared to grant temporary shelter to Palestinians affected by the war in Gaza between the Israeli military and the territory’s rulers Hamas.
Nearly 400,000 Gaza residents have been displaced in the weeks since Israel resumed military operations in the territory last month, according to the United Nations.
“We are ready to receive wounded victims,” Prabowo said before leaving for a Middle East visit to the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan.
“We are ready to send planes to transport them. We estimate the numbers may be 1,000 for the first wave.”
Wounded Palestinians and “traumatized, orphaned children” would be prioritized, he said.
He said he had instructed his foreign minister to talk with Palestinian officials and “parties in the region” on how to evacuate wounded or orphaned Gazans.
The victims would only be in Indonesia until they recovered and it was safe for their return.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has consistently called for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to Turkish media, Prabowo will be afforded the rare opportunity to address the Turkish parliament.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is one of the main backers of the Palestinian cause and visited Indonesia in February, where the pair pledged closer ties.
China vows ‘firm and forceful measures’ in response to new US tariffs
- China – Washington’s top economic rival but also a major trading partner – is the hardest hit
- Tariffs imposed on its products since Trump returned now reaching a staggering 104 percent
BEIJING: China vowed on Wednesday it would take “firm and forceful” steps to protect its interests, after steep US tariffs of 104 percent came into effect.
Following the sweeping 10 percent tariffs imposed over the weekend, rates on imports to the United States from exporters including the European Union and Japan rose further on Wednesday.
China – Washington’s top economic rival but also a major trading partner – is the hardest hit, with tariffs imposed on its products since Trump returned to the White House now reaching a staggering 104 percent.
In response, Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian insisted that “the Chinese people’s legitimate right to development is inalienable.”
“China’s sovereignty, security and development interests are inviolable,” he said.
“We will continue to take firm and forceful measures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests,” Lin said.
Also on Wednesday, Beijing’s commerce ministry said the country had “firm will” to fight a trade war with Washington, state news agency Xinhua said.
“With firm will and abundant means, China will resolutely take countermeasures and fight till the end if the United States insists on further escalating economic and trade restrictive measures,” Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying.
Nearly 100 dead in Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse
- Renowned Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez was one of those killed in the disaster
- More than 370 rescue personnel combed mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets for survivors
SANTO DOMINGO: Rescuers raced to find survivors early Wednesday after the roof of a Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed during a concert by popular singer Rubby Perez, one of nearly 100 people killed in the disaster.
Rescue workers were pressing on with the search effort, now limited more to recovering bodies from the rubble more than 24 hours after the roof caved in.
Renowned Dominican merengue singer Perez, who was performing at the Jet Set nightclub for hundreds of people when the roof collapsed shortly after midnight Tuesday, was one of those killed, according to his manager.
Relatives of clubgoers gathered around the disaster site in the capital Santo Domingo as rescuers ferried the injured to hospital, and used a crane to remove debris.
“We have some friends here, a niece, a cousin, some friends, who are in the rubble,” Rodolfo Espinal said, as he waited for information on his loved ones.
About 370 rescue personnel combed mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets for survivors.
Also among the dead were former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco.
Dotel, who was 51 years old, was rescued alive but later died of his injuries, local media reported.
A black-and-white photo of Dotel and images of the Dominican flag were projected onto the scoreboard at Citi Field in New York before Tuesday’s game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins.
“Peace to his soul,” the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League wrote in separate social media posts paying tribute to the two ex-players.
Local media said there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when disaster struck at around 12:44 am (0444 GMT) Tuesday. The club has capacity for about 1,700 people.
Perez was on stage when there was a blackout and the roof came crashing down, according to eyewitness reports.
Perez’s daughter Zulinka told reporters she had managed to escape after the roof collapsed, but he did not.
Also among the dead was the governor of the Monte Cristi municipality, Nelsy Cruz, according to President Luis Abinader.
He declared three days of national mourning.
By early Wednesday, the preliminary death toll had reached 98, said Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center.
“No people have been found alive since 3:00 p.m. (Tuesday),” Mendez said in his latest update.
“As long as there is hope for life, all authorities will be working to recover or rescue these people,” he said earlier.
Iris Pena, a woman who had attended the show, told SIN television how she escaped with her son.
“At one point, dirt started falling like dust into the drink on the table,” she said.
“A stone fell and cracked the table where we were, and we got out,” Pena recounted. “The impact was so strong, as if it had been a tsunami or an earthquake.”
Dozens of family members flocked to hospitals for news.
“We are desperate,” Regina del Rosa, whose sister was at the concert, told SIN. “They are not giving us news, they are not telling us anything.”
Helicopter images revealed a large hole where the club’s roof once was. A crane was helping lift some of the heavier rubble as men in hard hats dug through the debris.
Authorities have issued a call for Dominicans to donate blood.
Artists paid tribute to Rubby Perez on social media, with former colleague Wilfrido Vargas saying he was “devastated.”
“The friend and idol of our genre has left us,” Vargas wrote.
“Maestro, what a great pain he leaves us,” wrote Puerto Rican singer Olga Tanon.
The Instagram page of the Jet Set club said it has been in operation for more than 50 years, with shows every Monday until the early hours.
Its last post before Monday’s event invited fans to come and “enjoy his (Perez’s) greatest hits and dance in the country’s best nightclub.”
On Tuesday, the club issued a statement saying it was working “fully and transparently” with authorities.
The Jet Set collapse was one of the biggest tragedies the Caribbean nation and top tourist destination has faced in recent years.
In 2023, about 40 people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion linked to a plastics company in San Cristobal, near Santo Domingo.
And in 2005, more than 130 prisoners in the east of the country died in a fire caused by a fight between inmates.
Tourism generates about 15 percent of GDP in the country, with millions of annual visitors attracted by its music, nightlife, Caribbean beaches and the colonial architecture of the capital.
‘Everything was stopped’: USAID cuts hit hard in northern Kenya
- President Donald Trump’s administration has announced dramatic cuts to USAID whose annual budget was close to $43 billion
- The picture is increasingly grim in Kakuma refugee camp, which hosts more than 300,000 people mostly from South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and Rwanda
- Protests broke out last month after news that rations, already lowered last year, would be further reduced because of the cuts to US foreign aid spending
LODWAR: In Kenya’s largest and poorest county, the despair of a beleaguered hospital director is palpable as he explains that the dismantling of American-funded aid means his facility will run out of USAID drugs next month.
“From then on, I don’t know,” Ekiru Kidalio said, worried about the lack of treatment for measles and HIV among other things.
Northernmost Turkana county borders Ethiopia, South Sudan and Uganda and is home to just under a million people, according to a 2019 census, a third of them refugees, many dependent on foreign assistance.
President Donald Trump’s administration has announced dramatic cuts to USAID whose annual budget was close to $43 billion, more than 40 percent of the world’s humanitarian aid.
The decisions, taken thousands of kilometers (miles) away in Washington, are already being felt in Turkana’s Lodwar County Referral Hospital, Kidalio, its acting director, said.
USAID employed 64 staff, including nurses and clinical officers, out of around 400 employees at the hospital.
“All those workers were laid off,” he said.
“Everything was stopped... and then the commodities (drugs) were not received,” Kidalio added, voicing particular concern over shortages of measles vaccines.
Kidalio said he was “not aware” of any plans by the Kenyan government to tackle the shortfall.
The local governor publicly urged the restoration of USAID-funded programs when US charge d’affaires Marc Dillard visited last week.
The destabilising shift has also created a lot of concern in the dusty town, dominated by UN-emblazoned white landcruisers and signs urging an end to gender-based violence or promoting aid groups.
“There is a lot of worry because the US has ended their support,” resident Lydia Muya, 32, told AFP.
The mother-of-three said residents — in a region where roughly 77 percent of the population live below the poverty line, according to 2021 government statistics — were particularly concerned about their access to medication.
“We see that is now a very big risk to us, because we depend on those medicines, so most of the people will suffer,” said Muya.
“It is difficult.”
The picture is increasingly grim in Kakuma refugee camp, which hosts more than 300,000 people mostly from South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and Rwanda.
Protests broke out last month after news that rations, already lowered last year, would be further reduced because of the cuts to US foreign aid spending.
“It was tense,” said one humanitarian worker, based in Kakuma for almost five years, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not permitted to speak to the media.
When asked if supplies were arriving, his response was blunt: “No. With what money? No funding, no stuff.
“It’s operating on hand-to-mouth basis on this point.”
He estimated as much as 40 percent of the workforce had already been laid off as a result of the US cuts.
The situation could still worsen.
The World Food Programme (WFP), which supports just under 200,000 Kakuma refugees, told AFP they had cut rations, delivered as food and cash, to 40 percent of their previous level.
A mother-of-four, who had lived in the camp for almost two decades, told AFP she was worried.
“How many days will I eat? The food can end so fast,” she said, asking to remain anonymous as she was unsure if she was allowed to speak to journalists.
She is also worried about the coming rainy season when malaria cases soar.
“If you go now to the hospital there is no medicine, they just check you,” she said.
“Trump has stopped everything, and it’s closed now, there is nothing coming in and nothing coming out.”
Aid workers privately say that the situation is not just down to the US cuts and point to a lack of planning by NGOs.
“The camp has been managed as an emergency, so they were not preparing people” to become less dependent on aid, a second aid worker in Kakuma told AFP by telephone.
“If refugees were treated like people not in an emergency set-up anymore... these fund (shortfalls) could not affect them,” he said, suggesting more should have been done on longer-term programs.
The first aid worker also voiced his frustration, saying budgets were eaten up by operational costs such as staffing overheads, transport and bureaucracy.
“The aid, the majority of it goes to the operational bit of it, not the actual work,” he said. “It’s madness.”
Like other aid workers, he worries their program sometimes creates dependency without offering a future.
“As a person who has worked in multiple areas, sometimes you wonder if you are really helping or if you are enabling,” he said.
