The COP29 Presidency in Baku organised the second edition of the Business, Investment & Philanthropy Climate Platform to consolidate private sector initiatives for climate action.
Originating at COP28 in the UAE, this platform remains the primary venue for engaging leaders from the private sector in the COP discussions.
Over 900 global leaders from business and finance gathered to support initiatives aligned with the Paris Agreement.
Notable speakers included Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President and Azerbaijan’s Ecology Minister; Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov; and COP29 High-Level Champion Nigar Arpadarai.
Moreover, additional speakers featured IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop; COP26 President Alok Sharma; Majid Al Suwaidi, CEO of Alterra Fund; and Badr Jafar, the UAE’s Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy.
Badr Jafar, chair of the forum’s inaugural session at COP28, said, “The UAE Consenses serves as a beacon for multistakeholder climate action, and we stand at a critical juncture where the power of public-private partnerships must be harnessed to unlock the vast resources required to address the escalating challenges of climate change.”
Also read: UAE Champions Collaboration and Climate Action at COP29 Summit in Azerbaijan
Mobilising Trillions for Climate Solutions
Consequently, the discussions centered on the significant funding required to attain net zero and nature-positive goals in developing nations.
Participants highlighted that although the annual funding requirement is in the trillions, over $100 trillion in global assets are currently under management, and they anticipate that net private wealth will grow by more than 6% each year.
They emphasised that the challenge lies not in capital availability but in establishing effective systems to direct this wealth toward climate solutions in the Global South.
Also read: COP29 Negotiations: New Iteration of NCQG Draft Released
Public-Private Collaboration and Foreign Investment Focus
The forum aimed to enhance public-private cooperation to increase foreign direct investment in climate projects, especially in developing nations, underscoring crucial factors facilitating steady and increased financial flows to emerging markets.
With a sense of urgency and hope, the forum laid the groundwork for ongoing initiatives at future COP gatherings.
The Business & Philanthropy Climate Forum serves as a crucial platform uniting business and philanthropy to advance global climate initiatives.
It fosters progress on vital climate and nature objectives by uniting leaders from key sectors for collaborative discussions and initiatives.