The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) is underway this week in Baku, Azerbaijan. Governments, philanthropists, non-profit organizations, and corporations are using the opportunity to make big announcements and release new reports, products, and tools. We share a few of these below.

New funding announcements

• The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, launched GAIA a “US $1.48 billion blended finance platform that aims to increase the availability of climate finance for high impact climate action projects in up to 25 emerging markets and developing economies.”
• A group of Canadian family foundations has pledged a collective CAD $405 million in philanthropic funds to climate action. This is Canada’s largest-ever philanthropic commitment to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. They are urging others to join the cause to push for changes that will bring about meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
• The Trottier Family Foundation, one of nine foundations who are part of the commitment above, have awarded the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care funds for a 2-year project engaging hospital foundation boards and decision-makers on investing in health-oriented portfolios. We are pleased to collaborate on this project.

New resources released

• The World Resources Institute is tracking progress towards some of the world’s biggest collective climate commitments.
• The Climate Policy Monitor provides the most detailed view yet of how key economic rules are aligning – or not – to climate goals.
• The Taskforce on Net Zero have released two new reports: “Net Zero Policy Matters” to assess progress and take stock of corporate and financial net zero policy reform and “Interconnected Justice” to illuminate the cross-border implications of climate transition policies.

From our Experts

A number of our Climate Governance Experts are participating in COP29 and sharing their insights.

Beyond COP29

We remain dedicated to climate action in Canada and are pleased to see the government and philanthropic leaders pledge new funds to the cause, as well as various non-profits and individuals tracking the progress of governments in meeting their climate commitments and developing other useful resources.

These are steps in the right direction. COP29 isn’t over yet and we will be watching closely to see the direction and speed the global community is moving in, and whether Canada plans to build on growing momentum or risk exacerbating wildfires, heat waves and flooding, inflation, and the suffering these phenomenon cause.

We hope to see more Canadian businesses reduce their emissions, be more sustainable, and reduce risks to their bottom line to remain economically resilient and competitive. We are preparing professionals to lead these initiatives in Canada. Our 8-week long online learning program starts in January 2025. We are offering 10% off through COP29’s final day on November 22^nd, 2024. Use code “COP29” at checkout.