Belém, November 11, 2025 – The Europe Today: At the opening of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev issued a strong call for countries to honor their past climate commitments as he formally handed over the COP Presidency to Brazil and COP30 President Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago.
Addressing the assembled delegates, Babayev emphasized that the world has entered “a decade that demands delivery, not debate,” stressing that while climate agreements are collective, their implementation relies on individual country actions.
Highlighting the historic Baku Finance Goal, agreed at COP29 last year, he outlined three critical milestones for international climate finance in the next decade:
- Doubling adaptation finance by 2025, described as urgent;
- Tripling UN climate fund outflows by 2030;
- Mobilising at least $300 billion per year by 2035 to support developing countries.
Babayev underscored the urgency of these measures, noting that countries cannot achieve emission reductions or protect vulnerable communities without reliable financial support. “A changing world is no excuse for backtracking,” he said. “Many used these changes to justify inaction before; they cannot be used again as a reason for failing to meet commitments.”
As part of the COP29 communications, a symbolic “invoice” was published on social media channels, detailing the financial pledges made by donors and emphasizing accountability.
Babayev warned that failure to deliver in the first year of implementation could “undermine the entire process,” but also offered a forward-looking vision. “By fulfilling past promises, we restore faith in the system. We prove that building more agreements is not in vain. We dismantle the distrust that we have seen too often. And we restore COP’s sense of purpose,” he said.
The speech set a resolute tone for COP30, reinforcing Azerbaijan’s commitment to climate action, accountability, and multilateral cooperation as the international community embarks on the first full implementation cycle of the Paris Agreement.
