Will’s Word: COP29 a shameful betrayal of future generations

We’re talking about one of my favourite subjects, my favourite summit, COP29. It’s about to cop it from me, that’s for sure.

I knew - didn’t I call this? - that this meeting, COP29, would be a monumental waste of time.

The actions that have come out of it have proved me right.

The climate change summit in Azerbaijan was nothing more than a disappointing display of inaction and broken promises.

Once again, the Pacific Islands, whose very existence is at risk due to climate change, were shamefully ignored.

The world’s wealthiest nations - who you’d think would lead the fight against this global crisis - turned their backs on their moral obligations.

Let’s call it what it is: An utter disaster.

COP29 was meant to be the “finance COP,” where the world would come together to plug financial gaps.

Instead, all we got was a hollow token pledge of $300 billion in annual climate finance by 2035.

Now, you might think that sounds like a lot but put it in perspective. This is for global action by 2035.

That figure, $300 billion, is a mere fraction of what vulnerable nations, like the Pacific Islands, were asking for. The desired figure was over $1 trillion for climate change initiatives.

See the full video of Will's Word below.

Developing countries are saddled with loans

What’s even worse, and this is what really gets me, is that most of this money is in the form of loans, not grants.

This means poor countries will be saddled with even more debt as the crisis worsens. Let’s call it what it is: a betrayal.

A betrayal of the people who will suffer the most from climate change.

A betrayal of future generations who will live with the consequences, myself included, all because of short-sighted decision-making, inaction, and infighting.

COP29 has proven, yet again, that it is as disastrous as the climate change crisis itself.

Shame on the world leaders who attended this hollow meeting and did nothing.

Shame on the host nation, Azerbaijan, for a woeful event from start to finish.

And shame on the fossil fuel companies that continue to have a chokehold on our world.

That’s Will’s Word.