At UN Climate Talks, a Sizable Fossil Fuel Presence

As United Nations climate talks approached the end of the first of two weeks in Baku, Azerbaijan, negotiators grappled with determining how much financial support wealthier nations should provide to aid developing countries in the fight against climate change. Some experts estimate as much as $1 trillion will be needed annually to cover both damage compensation and the transition to cleaner energy sources; as such, hundreds of billions of dollars could be on the table.

But there was plenty of criticism during COP29's first week: A letter from two former UN officials called for a transition from ongoing negotiations to concrete implementation stages. Others, among them former US Vice President Al Gore, highlighted the growing concerns over fossil fuel's influence at the talks, with one analysis identifying at least 1,770 participants at the event linked to the industry. Despite these critiques, Yalchin Rafiyev, the conference's chief negotiator, defended the format, stating, "The process has already delivered...it's better than any alternative."

Attention now turns to next week, when ministers from various nations, whose approvals are critical, are expected to join the discussions. Meanwhile, activists have planned global protests for Saturday, on what is generally their biggest protest day during the talks. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)