Both ENDS at COP29: advocating for gender just climate finance

Q: What is the importance of the annual UNFCCC Conferences for Both ENDS and our partner organisations?

Marius: The COP is the most important international annual climate summit there is. It is one of the few spaces where thousands of policy makers, civil society organisations, activists - and yes, corporate lobbyists too - meet. 

With every year passing, the urgency of tackling the climate crisis is becoming more urgent. The international community will have to move a lot quicker than it is right now. The COPs so far have not been able to really speed up action. But without the participation of civil society, it would probably be even slower. 

So, although the COP is not perfect – to put it mildly - it is a key moment for Both ENDS and partners to scrutinise the negotiations, advocate with policy makers and form new connections. The COP serves as a pressure cooker for climate policy, sometimes leading to great wins such as the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and the signing of the Glasgow Statement in 2021, where Both ENDS was closely involved.

Q: Why is the COP “imperfect”?

Marius: Last year, a record number of fossil fuel lobbyists attended COP28. This runs the risk of the climate agenda being hijacked by vested interests that sabotage climate policy and promote false solutions. With this year's COP being organised in another fossil fuel powered country, Azerbaijan, there are concerns that advancing ambitious climate policy will again be challenging. 

Also, even when countries finally come to far-reaching agreements, there is no guarantee they will follow up their own words with action. For example, last year, countries finally came to the recognition that the world has to 'move away from fossil fuels', but so far we are not making nearly enough progress.

Q: What exactly are you and Daan going to do in Baku? 

Marius: Well, first of all Both ENDS and partners are organising a number of side events, for example on the role of the current trade system in preventing a just energy transition, and on the importance of gender just climate finance. In our side event on trade and climate, we want to bring a new dimension to the COP that has so far not been part of the discussion: the impact of trade and investment on our climate goals and how to deal with the questions of the raw materials needed for the energy transition. These are essential factors in making a just energy transition a reality and Both ENDS is helping to kickstart this debate.

Apart from this, we will support our partners in their advocacy towards their respective governments to advance ambitious, fair and inclusive climate policy. It is also a good opportunity for ourselves to talk to Dutch and international policy makers and also involve our partners in these conversations: literally “connecting people for change”. The presence of so many policy makers and other civil society actors makes the COP a great opportunity to get our messages accross.

Q: What is the main topic during this COP? When would you call this COP successful?

Marius: This is going to be the “Finance COP”. The participating countries will negotiate about the New Collective Quantified Goal – NCQG for after 2025. The attitude of the countries from the global North in these negotiations will be of crucial importance. If they really want to make a difference, they should also make sure that this new round of climate finance will reach locally led projects and gender just climate solutions, instead of the usual suspects.

Therefore, Both ENDS and partners will advocate for this finance to meet the needs of the global South by reaching local communities and marginalised groups in particular – as we’ve been doing for many years. Because climate finance is only effective when it reaches those people who are feeling the consequences of the climate crisis the most: communities, and especially women and other marginalised groups in the global South.