Acting cabinet secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Gillian Martin, will attend the COP29 UN Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, to continue Scotland’s strong contribution to climate change discussions.
The International conference is set to kick off on Monday, November 11, running through until November 22, which will see world leaders from almost every country gather to discuss the multilateral efforts required to tackle the climate crisis.
COP29 aims to ratify means aimed at limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C helping vulnerable communities adapt to the effects of climate change, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
This year’s summit has been dubbed the climate finance conference, due to the increased emphasis on calibrating how much financial reparations should be paid towards less advanced countries who suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change.
Martin’s schedule during the event will include a number of roundtables and bilateral meetings with governments, international organisations, and groups to discuss ways to tackle the climate emergency.
Speaking before her trip to COP29, she said: “Our country has a wealth of experience and expertise when it comes to the just transition to net-zero, which can help influence, inform, and shape the global climate debate.
“I will be travelling to COP29 to represent the Scottish Government and use our position of leadership in global sub-national organisations, such as the Under 2 Coalition and Regions4, to help drive greater action across all levels of government in tackling the devastating impact of climate change.
“Scotland’s commitment to ending our contribution to global emissions by 2045 at the latest is ambitious, but it is achievable.
“We know that challenges lie ahead and the only way we can truly meet the need and urgency of the task is by working together to exchange ideas and agree on shared actions.”
She reaffirmed her government’s commitment towards providing the financial support required to address the loss and damages suffered by vulnerable communities, which are most at risk to global warming’s consequences.
“We are committed to continuing that progress and contributing to the finance debate, to ensure it is in line with climate justice principles,” she added.
