Michal Fidler took the photographs and Dr. John Capece wrote the captions for the following photo essay on the 29th Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP29. Fidler is director of Intelligentsia International Inc. and Capece is director of Alpha Epsilon Lambda. This is the second part of their photo essay documenting their experiences at COP29 — click here to view part one.
“Wheel of Misfortune” might be the best way to describe the agenda at this year’s U.N. climate conference that mercifully ended at 3 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24 in Baku, Azerbaijan after two weeks of frustrating negotiations. While billed as the international gathering focused exclusively on solving the climate crisis, COP29 felt more like a flash mob of activists sincerely dedicated to the wide-ranging, 17-point U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, of which climate is just one (No. 13). Advocates for the other 16 goals did their best to couch their appeals for policy transformations and project funding as either synergistic solutions to climate change or as humanitarian problems exacerbated by climate change. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece)COP29 was focused less on solving the climate crisis through greenhouse gas reductions and more on who should pay who for the weather-related destruction being felt in these very early stages of the rapidly unfolding climate crisis. The least developed nations verbally hammered on the richer nations to set aside up to $1.3 trillion per year for “Loss and Damage” (compensation for climate disasters) and “Climate Finance” (funding for renewable energy technology). Where one fund ends and the other begins is unclear. But the debate may be moot given that with leadership in many western nations transitioning to administrations like that of Donald Trump, the agreements concluded at COP29 and previous COPs are aspirational at best. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece)As with most causes debated in the political arena, advocates for climate reparations struggled to break through to the negotiators and the wider public using slogans and theatrics. Loss and Damage fund advocates chanted, “Pay up,” “Make polluters pay” and “You owe us.” They pointed out that the $1.3 trillion annually they seek represents only 1% of global GDP. It is also true that if the U.S. alone spent what it did on winning World War II, the climate crisis would command $9 trillion each year, just from our nation. Global annual subsidies for fossil fuels are estimated to be $7 trillion each year. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) In a drama-filled night of haggling over the final agreement, the delegations from the small Pacific Islands walked out of the negotiations hall. They said that the funding being offered was not commensurate with the damage their nations are suffering today or with the fact that their countries will be completely erased from the map by sea level rise. The unfortunate reality is that their voices have been heard loud and clear, but the fossil fuel interests and consumption-focused voters that command most national delegations simply ignore the plight of the Pacific Islanders and those facing similar tragedies. Increasingly, even the richer nations are struggling to cover their internal domestic costs of climate-related disasters and, thus, each year are less and less inclined to send money abroad. The final agreement set a goal of at least $300 billion dollars per year by 2035 to support the least developed nations. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) Just a few miles away from the COP29 negotiation rooms are the world’s oldest developed oil fields. This area is littered with oil-soaked debris and oil covered waters. Commercial oil drilling near Baku dates back to 1846, making theirs the first such wells. Even the country’s name Azerbaijan has its origin in the regions oil and gas seeps. The Turkic tribal name dates back to the era of the ancient Persian empire and means “Guardian of Fire.” As president of COP29, many accuse the nation of doing exactly that, protecting the interests of the fossil fuel industry and the global economy still very much dependent on this source of fire. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) In the shadow of Baku’s three ultra-modern, LED-screen clad, Flame Towers is the old city of Baku. This medieval port fortress town may even date back to the Byzantine-Roman era. Despite being more than 10 years old, two of the three Flame Towers are still unoccupied. These towers owned by the nation’s ruling family network are a testament to the country’s aspirations to modernity, but its difficult path to achievement. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) Also anchoring Azerbaijan to the past is its history as part of the Soviet Union. The souvenir shops are well stocked with authentic Soviet memorabilia, seemingly taken from people’s closets and sold to make ends meet. Bordered by Georgia to the north, Iran to the south and Armenia to the west (with which it recently concluded the latest in a series of post-Soviet border wars), it is a rather dangerous neighborhood. Only the Caspian Sea to the east offers a relatively tranquil view. The surface of this isolated salt ater sea sits almost 100 feet below global sea level. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) Equally intense and tranquil at this year’s COP were U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ed Markey (D-MA). They are the stalwart champions of climate action in the U.S. government. They offered words of encouragement saying that the jobs and greenhouse gas reductions progress delivered by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act cannot be undone by the Trump administration. But it is doubtful that the Trump administration will continue or expand these climate mitigation programs. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) By the end of the two-week marathon conference, everyone involved with COP29 was exhausted, catching naps whenever and wherever they could. And after 29 such events, the attendees sense that the COP process may be running out of youthful energy as well, turning 30 next year. And as the young of 1960s generation were known to say, “Never trust anyone over 30.” Let’s hope that sense of suspicion does not extend to the climate crisis battle. Perhaps augmenting outlooks with the 1980s saying, “Trust, but verify” might be the required approach. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) Azerbaijan should be given credit for serving as a welcoming host. They constructed a very functional temporary venue for COP29. Security seemed to be something of an area of expertise for them with a policeman never out of arm’s reach everywhere at the conference and in much of the city as well. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) COP30 is slated for Brazil, but not the expected destinations of Rio De Janeiro or Sao Paulo. Rather, the northern port city of Belem will host the climate conference despite its lack of hotel rooms. There is talk of using cruise ships to house attendees. Belem is described as impoverished and crime ridden. Most of the 2.5 million residents live in slums. Sewage treatment is rare in the city, so the surrounding waterways are heavily polluted. But like Olympic venues, countries often invest huge amounts of money to make over a city before hosting a U.N. climate conference. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece) Brazilian activists are trying to brand COP30 as “the Children’s COP,” hoping to maintain the event’s focus on U.N. Sustainable Development Goals while also delivering productivity on greenhouse gas reductions. All U.N. climate conferences are ultimately about the young and future generations. The older generations have continually assumed the impacts of climate change would not fall upon them, but only upon their children and grandchildren. But having reached 30, the children of the first COP negotiators are now having their own children. The stress and suffering of climate impact are being felt by everyone. (Photo by Michal Fidler, text by John Capece)
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