BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) 鈥� Countries at the United Nations climate summit amped up the pressure on themselves Friday by entering the last scheduled day of talks with no visible progress on their chief goals.
From the start, 鈥� money that wealthy nations are obligated to pay to developing countries to cover damages resulting from and to to a warming planet. Experts put the figure at $1 trillion or more, but draft texts that emerged Thursday after nearly two weeks of talks angered the developing world by essentially leaving blank the financial commitment.
The talks often run into overtime as wealthier nations are pressed to pay for impacts caused largely by their . The late finish also adds pressure on Azerbaijan, the oil-rich nation presiding over this year's COP, or Conference of Parties.
In a statement late Thursday, the presidency struck an optimistic tone, saying the outlines of a financial package 鈥渁re starting to take shape鈥� and promised new draft texts on Friday.
鈥淐OP29 urges all parties to engage urgently and constructively in order to reach the ambitious outcome that we all need,鈥� the statement said.
Earlier in the day, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev convened a Qurultay 鈥� a traditional Azerbaijani meeting 鈥� where negotiators spoke to hear all sides. He promised to find "a way forward regarding future iterations.鈥�
鈥楽lap in the face鈥� for text to have no financial figure
Independent experts say that at least $1 trillion is needed in finance to help transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels and toward clean energy like solar and wind, better adapt to the effects of climate change and pay for losses and damages caused by extreme weather.
Panama's Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez said the 鈥渓ack of commitment transparency feels like a slap in the face to the most vulnerable."
"It is just utter disrespect to those countries that are bearing the brunt of this crisis,鈥� he said. 鈥淒eveloped countries must stop playing games with our life and put a serious quantified financial proposal on the table.鈥�
Esa Ainuu, from the small Pacific island of Niue also blasted the lack of a number in the draft deal.
鈥淔or us in the Pacific, this is critical for us,鈥� Ainuu said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 escape to the desert. We can鈥檛 escape somewhere else. This is reality for us. If finance is not bringing any positive, (then) why鈥檙e we coming to COP?鈥�
Mohamed Adow, director of the think tank Power Shift Africa, also expressed disappointment at the lack of a figure. 鈥淲e need a cheque but all we have right now is a blank piece of paper,鈥� he said.
Nations big and small want more on slashing fossil fuels
Other areas that are being negotiated include commitments to slash planet-warming fossil fuels and how to adapt to climate change. But they鈥檝e seen little movement.
European nations and the United States criticized the package of proposals for not being strong enough in reiterating last year鈥檚 call for a transition away from fossil fuels.
鈥淭he current text offers no progress鈥� on efforts to cut the world鈥檚 emissions of heat-trapping gases, said Germany delegation chief Jennifer Morgan. 鈥淭his cannot and must not be our response to the suffering of millions of people around the world. We must do better.鈥�
U.S. climate envoy John Podesta said he was surprised that 鈥渢here is nothing that carries forward the ... outcomes that we agreed on last year in Dubai.鈥� The United States, the world鈥檚 biggest historic emitter of greenhouse gases, has played little role in the talks as it braces for another presidency under Donald Trump.
Days earlier, the 20 largest economies met in Brazil and didn't mention the call for transitioning away from fossil fuels. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who was at that meeting, said official language is one thing, but reality is another.
鈥淭here will be no way鈥� the world can limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius "if there is not a phase out of fossil fuels,鈥� Guterres said at a Thursday news conference.
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Associated Press journalists Ahmed Hatem contributed to this report.
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Sibi Arasu, Melina Walling, Seth Borenstein And Michael Phillis, The Associated Press
