Hello everyone, and welcome to the Under2 Coalition General Assembly.
It’s so good to see so many familiar faces here in Baku. Thank you for joining us at this critical moment for subnational action.
I want to start by acknowledging the remarkable commitment that has brought us together and by thanking the Under2 Coalition states, regions, and provinces, as well as our key partners and funders. Your support and shared ambition are what make this Coalition—and the work we’re doing—possible.
Our theme for today, “Uniting Leaders, Driving Change’’, speaks to the incredible power of collaboration and leadership within this Coalition. When we think of the climate crisis, we often think of global summits, international pacts, national policies. But our focus today is on something just as important, if not more: the role of subnational leadership in shaping global ambition. As we look forward to the next few years, with the shift from the recent US elections, we know that states and regions are going to critical in keeping up the climate fight. And we know meaningful change happens where people feel its impact the most—within communities, in towns and cities led by dedicated leaders like you all.
2025 will be an important year in climate action.
We are fast approaching the 10-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement AND of the Under2 Coalition, the deadline to update the NDCs, and the COP30 in Brazil.
Meeting in Baku feels like a contradiction as we’re at the heart of a petrostate with plans to increase its oil production in the coming years. But it’s also a reminder of the reality many nations across the world still face: a system that is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and questions on how to get away from that.
In recent weeks, the United Nations Environment Programme, the UNFCCC and the International Energy Agency warned us that, still, we’re not moving fast enough. On top of this, 2024 is projected to become the warmest year on record.
So we need to talk about how we’re going to tackle this. How we’re going to mobilise the solutions and strategies we desperately need to change the current trajectory of humankind.
As we begin this General Assembly, I urge each of us to keep in mind that our work here goes far beyond strategic discussions. Every commitment we make, every partnership we strengthen, and every action we take brings us closer to safeguarding our planet for future generations. Let’s draw inspiration from our successes and learn from our challenges, so that we leave this room not only with new ideas but with specific action plans to drive tangible change. Today, we will focus on ensuring we can raise the NDC ambition ahead of the 2025 deadline and on mobilising the much-needed finance for states and regions to deliver on their climate targets.
Throughout today you will hear from a wide range of speakers talking about what’s at stake at COP29, how we can make the most of this finance COP, and play our part in the most ambitious ratchet of the next set of NDCs.
The next 12 months are critical, which is why Climate Group is coming to COP29 with three clear asks:
First, we call on States to work with subnational governments and business to submit better, investible and ambitious NDCs by the February 2025 deadline.
Second, we call for effective and accessible climate finance, guided through the new global finance goal, to be agreed here in Baku. The Global North has a historical responsibility to free up long overdue climate finance, to ensure people living in climate hotspots are protected and resilient.
Third, we want to see immediate, concrete action in areas such as energy, transport, and industry. Our Global To-Do List launched at Climate Week NYC outlines some key priorities. From taxing oil and gas companies to fund the energy transition, creating a global agency to enforce methane emissions reductions, to unleashing renewables by removing outdated policies and permitting obstacles. All actions businesses and governments can start taking now, that will drive results in the next 12 months.
It’s vital that we turn pledges into real-world progress.
Today and throughout the week, I urge you to see COP29 as not just a convening, but a catalyst. Together, let’s create a legacy of ambition, a commitment to accountability, and a network of actions that propel us toward a just and sustainable world.
With that, I’d now like to invite Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington State, a proud and leading member of the Under2 Coalition, to give his keynote address on how crucial it is that all the states, regions and provinces are here today.