BetterLife International at COP29 – Driving Local Solutions for a Global Future

The Bitter Aftertaste of COP29: Africa's Disillusionment

(BetterLife International Delegation Take)

Another year, another COP, and yet again, Africa walks away with the short end of the stick. COP29 in Baku was supposed to be our moment—where the world would finally recognize the dire needs of the Global South, particularly Africa, which is on the frontline of climate change despite contributing the least to it. But what did we get? A slap in the face, or rather, a bill for a meal we didn't order.

First off, let's talk about the finance—or lack thereof. Before COP29, there was this buzz, this hope that we'd finally see a commitment from the developed world that matches the scale of the climate crisis we're facing. We needed $1.3 trillion annually for adaptation, mitigation, and dealing with loss and damage. What was promised? A measly $300 billion by 2035. That's like offering us a bicycle when we're in the middle of a desert marathon. The funding gap isn't just wide; it's a chasm we're expected to jump with our hands tied behind our backs.

Moreover, this so-called "new finance" isn't even strictly from public funds. They've cleverly woven in private finance, which means we're still at the mercy of banks and corporations that might decide to pull out when the going gets tough. It's not just insufficient; it's unreliable. We've got countries here where people are still recovering from droughts, floods, and storms that have wiped out entire communities, and we're supposed to clap for this?

Then there's the carbon market debacle. The hasty push for Article 6.4, which is supposed to regulate carbon credits, was meant to be a tool for us. Instead, it feels like a tool for the Global North to keep polluting while buying their way out of responsibility. It's like they've turned our environmental crisis into another market opportunity for them. How does that help us adapt to the scorching temperatures, the erratic rains, or the rising sea levels? It doesn't. It just lets them keep their lifestyle while we bear the brunt of their emissions.

Let's not forget the geopolitical games and the fossil fuel lobbyists. More than ever, these conferences seem to be a stage for political posturing rather than genuine climate action. With nearly 2,000 fossil fuel lobbyists in attendance, the talks were more about how to keep burning oil and gas than how to stop it. It's laughable, if it weren't so tragic, to see leaders from countries that need to ramp down fossil fuel use making deals that ensure the opposite. What does that say to us, whose lands are turning into deserts or sinking under water?

For Africa, COP29 was yet another reminder of our place in the global pecking order. We're expected to compromise our immediate survival for the world's slow pace towards sustainability. We're told to wait, to hope, to trust in systems that have historically failed us. And what do we give up? Our future, our resources, our very way of life.

The irony is bitter. While we're asked to adapt, to mitigate, to suffer, those who've led us to this point offer solutions that serve them first. They speak of "just transitions" and "global solidarity," but what we see is business as usual, with Africa left to fend for itself.

The disappointment from COP29 isn't just about unmet expectations; it's about the stark realization that the global climate agenda seems to have forgotten who truly needs help. We're told to keep faith in a process that, year after year, proves it's more about maintaining power dynamics than saving our planet.

Here in Africa, we're not just frustrated; we're tired. Tired of watching our lands dry up, our rivers flood, and our people suffer while waiting for a world that seems more interested in profits than in people. COP29 wasn't just a failure; it was a betrayal of trust, and for many in the Global South, it might just be the last straw.