In our annual pre-COP spectacular, we survey the range of issues on the agenda at COP29 in Baku, before digging deep on the vexed issue of climate finance – terms and conditions apply!
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After Frankie brazenly reclaims a corner of the pod for the infamous “Shirtfronting with Frankie” (become a Super Summerupperer for a first look at t-shirt designs!) your intrepid hosts dive into a pre-COP-primer as the next Conference of Parties is almost upon us! And never fear, the LMSU team will be on the ground in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing you the latest on the negotiations. What’s on the menu for COP29? Finance, dollars and more finance! Negotiations on a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance are centre stage, co-chaired by Australia’s own Minister Bowen. And as pressure is due to ramp up on the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions, let’s not forget the spectre of the US election and its impact on the mood on the ground…
Bonus: check out our wrap of last year’s COP28 as your amuse bouche for Baku!
Our main paper
Having failed to come up with a compelling turn of phrase for NCQG (we’ll work on it) we dive into the OECD’s Climate Finance Provided and Mobilised by Developed Countries in 2013-22, a summary on how we’ve faired against the existing $100 billion a year goal. So, have we made it? OECD says yes, in 2022. LMSU says, asterisk! Conditions apply.
Bonus nerdery: a draft framework for negotiations on the NCQG, including how they might be defining developed vs developing countries.
One more things
Tennant’s One More Thing is: listener feedback from Deeper Decarb on our National Hydrogen Strategy episode who said we had neglected the possibility of electrolysis leading to higher emissions without focusing on where projects would be sourcing energy. T’s response? The Govt reckons she’ll be apples! Subsidies and the need for low cost energy to be competitive means. Also check out DD’s substack!
Frankie’s One More Thing is: the recent and unexpected politicisation of, of all things, the National Construction Code! That’s right, there’s a stoush brewing over whether there should be a 10-year pause to further changes to the NCC, which, in this intrepid host’s view, would be BONKERS in the critical decade for climate action.
Luke’s One More Thing is: a tribute to the LMSU ‘Super Summerupperers’ trivia team who managed a podium finish, coming in third at Currently Speaking’s trivia night in Melbourne. Special thanks to listeners Dylan, Dean and Ben for joining us! If only we’d listened to you at some critical moments. But we won't flog that dead horse!
And that’s all from us Summerupperers! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/LetMeSumUp, send your hot tips and suggestions for papers to us at mailbag@letmesumup.net and check out our back catalogue at letmesumup.net.