Over the next two weeks, people from around the world will gather in Baku, Azerbaijan, for UN Climate Change Conference COP29.  RenewableNI answers some of the big questions you may have.

What is COP?

COP stands for Conference of the Parties.  It is held annually, with the Presidency rotating between the five recognised UN regions.  At the meetings governments assess global efforts to advance the Paris Agreement and the Convention, also limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Why is it COP29 important?

COP29 has the key theme of ‘finance’ as countries decide the money needed to help lower-income countries transition towards net zero.  An increase on previous funding amounts is expected to be agreed by the countries with higher incomes, and clear timelines to award these grants.

You will read a lot about the NCQG – the new collective qualified climate finance goal, as countries make these financial decisions for the first time in 15 years.  A minimum target of £91.4bn ($100bn) is needed to meet the climate crisis scale.

What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change.  It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP21 in Paris, December 2015.   It requires countries to submit their national climate actions plans every five years.

A key topic for COP29 will be the February 2025 deadline for countries to submit new nationally determined contributions (NDCs), outlining how they will reduce their carbon emissions.  Countries will be holding each other to account and examining how ambitious targets are.  As signs of global warming increase the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said to limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030.

What does COP29 mean for Northern Ireland?

The UK is committed to reaching net zero by 2050. This means that the total greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to the emissions removed from the atmosphere, with the aim of limiting global warming and resultant climate change.

The UK government is expected to announce their updated NDC on Tuesday 12 November.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) states that all advanced economies must achieve zero carbon electricity by 2035.  This is now reflected in UK government policy.  Northern Ireland’s rich wind resource makes it well positioned to meet this target.

In Northern Ireland the Climate Act set a target of achieving 80 per cent renewable electricity generation by 2030.

We currently have 1.9GW of renewable capacity, generating almost 50 per cent of the electricity we use.  We need to more than double renewable electricity generation to meet growth in demand as we electrify heat and transport.

Locally produced renewable electricity can reduce consumer bills, power a green economy and deliver net zero energy.