lucky horse At COP29, Climate ‘Optimism Has Been Dampened’
This week, diplomats and heads of state from nearly 200 countries gathered in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, for COP29, the climate summit held by the United Nations.
At the annual summit, now in its 29th year, world leaders come together to discuss global climate initiatives, goals and action plans. This year’s conference, which is scheduled to conclude next week, is focused on finance.
Brad Plumer, a New York Times reporter who has been covering climate change and energy technologies for more than a decade, arrived in Baku on Sunday. “Being here, you can talk to representatives from countries around the world and learn what they’re dealing with back home,” Mr. Plumer said in a phone interview Friday morning. “Whether it’s natural disasters or the economic realities of trying to shift away from fossil fuels, many countries are very blunt about the challenges they face.”
Mr. Plumer shared what it’s like to report from the summit in a year that’s shaping up to be the hottest in recorded history. This interview has been condensed and edited.
What does an average day look like for you at COP29?
A lot of the job is trying to meet with different countries and delegations. NGOs and businesses are constantly holding press conferences. It’s a lot of running from place to place. And it’s a large venue. There are about 60,000 people here, so it’s frantic. It can feel easier to talk to different people and governments than it might be on a normal day, when everyone’s not all gathered together. But that’s not always the case: Many countries are guarded and won’t talk to the press.
This is the sixth COP summit you’ve attended. How does this one feel different, given Donald J. Trump’s re-election and the likelihood that he will dismantle various environmental protections?
We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.lucky horse
