COP 29, the United Nations’ annual climate change conference, is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. Running until November 22nd, the world’s signature environmental event takes place this year under the slogan “in solidarity for a green world.”
As delegates gather beside the Caspian Sea against the backdrop of Baku’s iconic Flame Towers, media reports note the headwinds against collective climate action. The specter of a second Trump administration, cynicism toward the petrostate host—not to mention today’s challenges of practically actioning the event’s promised global solidarity—have some already looking to the next COP in Brazil to truly get things done. Others dismiss the process entirely.
While there are significant obstacles to overcome, we at the Smart Prosperity Institute believe in the promise and necessity of climate solidarity—looking beyond oneself and working collectively to pursue meaningful action towards a greener world for all. Climate change is a defining issue of our times, and while its effects are unequal, no one is unaffected, and everyone should be part of the solution. Imperfect as they are, these talks offer an opportunity to hear one another, engage in constructive dialogue and drive positive change.
We owe it to ourselves and future generations to bring diverse voices together to mitigate and fight the effects of climate change, while protecting the natural world. Though we’re often tempted to remain in our respective silos and face challenges alone, we must overcome this and leverage the strengths of sometimes unlikely allies to ultimately live more sustainably.
Collective action, such as what COP strives for, is central to our vision to build a stronger, cleaner economy that thrives within nature's limits. The Smart Prosperity Institute lives this approach daily through dialogue with all levels of government on non-partisan policy recommendations, working with diverse academics and institutes from across the world, collaboration with private industry and meaningful engagement through our partnership with Generate Canada and its Solution Spaces.
While we’re not in Baku, we’re cheering on global representatives as they strive to move the needle on much-needed solutions to the critical issues we all face. We’ve made a virtual cameo however. Our own Hem Dholakia appeared by video to share our recent green skills research at a LinkedIn-hosted session with partners in the Canada Pavilion—another example of positive collaboration in action!
As the event proceeds at pace, below is a selection of SPI and our partners’ recent work slotted under the theme days explored at COP 29. It’s our hope these resources help you and your respective partners ground lofty global conversations back here in Canada, and collectively advance positive change at home in your communities, workplaces and everyday lives.
November 14: Finance, Investment and Trade
November 15: Energy / Peace, Relief and Recovery
November 16: Science, Technology and Innovation / Digitalisation
November 18: Human Capital / Children and Youth / Health / Education
November 19: Food, Agriculture and Water
November 20: Urbanization / Transport / Tourism
November 21: Nature and Biodiversity / Indigenous People / Gender Equality / Oceans and Coastal Zones
These resources are a small selection of available materials related to the major themes of the conference. For a full catalog of releases, explore SPI’s Research + Publications Library. As with all major climate events, we’ll continue monitoring developments from Baku to see how they impact our green economy work here at home. And in the spirit of climate solidarity, please don’t hesitate to reach out to connect on environment and economy matters. We’d love to hear from you. Stay current on our latest thinking by signing up for the Smart Prosperity Institute’s monthly newsletter.