In the lead-up to COP29, UK Government ministers and business leaders gathered to focus on strengthening global climate action.
The meetings, which took place on 6th November, were chaired by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Development Minister Anneliese Dodds, and Environment Secretary Steve Reed.
Three key roundtable discussions took place: one on financing the transition to clean energy, another on climate adaptation and resilience, and a third on a global treaty to end plastic pollution.
During the meeting on clean energy, participants, including Fatih Birol from the IEA and Azerbaijan’s Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, emphasised the importance of scaling up renewable energy investments, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies.
The goal is to meet global targets, such as tripling renewable deployment by 2030 and limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement.
The second roundtable focused on the financing gap for climate adaptation, with participants recognising the need to close this gap to ensure countries can withstand the impacts of climate change.
The final roundtable addressed the issue of plastic pollution, where leaders from business and finance sectors discussed the importance of a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040.
