THE NCQG IS NOT A MAZE

On Saturday, the NCQG contact group agreed on a lengthy 25 page text and concluded that they would sacrifice their ministers by sending them into what seems to be a maze. Due to its numerous brackets and options, you could think that the probability that one gets lost on their way to an ambitious outcome exceeds the chance of finding your delegation pavilion or a free coffee. To help our dear ministers to make it out alive, ECO wanted to clarify that the way out is straightforward. The successful trail leads us directly to the submissions of ambitious NDCs before COP30, as well as meaningful results in the Mitigation Work Program and the fossil fuel phase out we all need. Fuurther guidelines, emphasizing what you must stand strong for, are to be spread all around Baku. May the odds be in your favour.

First, before stepping into the maze, breathe deeply and repeat the climate justice principles mantra: “CBDR-RC and Equity.” Promise to stick to the mandate and take into account the needs and priorities of developing countries. These wise words consecrated ages ago will guide your footsteps in the right direction. Whenever you find yourself unsure at a crossroad, remember that the NCQG is the sole obligation of developed countries to provide and mobilize climate finance to the developing ones.

Second, be aware that a couple of dead-ends leading to false solutions still haunt the text. To avoid them, do not let yourself be misled by the gloomy voices calling for an expansion of the contributor base nor those lobbying for a global investment goal. This is out of scope. Moreover, you’re not alone. A private minotaur also wanders in the maze, looking for loans at market rate and carbon markets to be counted as climate finance. Make sure you keep your distance from it, and from its terrible ally, the MDBs, or you risk beheading the trust in the process. Rather, confront them in other foras and in the Sharm-El-Sheik dialogue to make sure they align their financial flows with the Paris Agreement.

Your trophy is one trillion and it’s waiting for you on the other side. Although ensuring quantity is a sine qua none condition, no one will congratulate you if the quality isn’t guaranteed. Be cautious and bold to obtain the Breadcrumb Trail composed of a core of public finance with a vast majority of grants. To complete your quest, you must collect the three precious subgoals, including the one on Loss and Damage. You almost reached the end, but without praising tax justice and the polluter pays principle, the gates won’t open for you.

You see? It’s quite simple in the end.

Gender, Climate, and the Intersectionality Imperative: Why COP29 Must Deliver

“ECO is happy to share this part of our publication with the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) to help amplify their voice. This article reflects the views of the WGC.”

As COP29 rolls into its second week here in Baku, the gender-related negotiations remain as stalled as traffic in rush hour. And while the headlines focus on more high-profile issues, the battle for an ambitious Lima Work Program on Gender has been waging in quiet frustration. It’s time to call out the critical gaps preventing progress: scaling up finance, embedding human rights, and embracing intersectionality.

1. Scaling Up Finance: Words Won’t Keep the Lights On

Let’s face it—ambitious gender-responsive climate policies are a pipe dream without funding. Yet, parties continue to skirt around this glaring issue. How do you implement work programmes if there’s no financial engine driving them? It’s not enough to slap a dollar sign on vague commitments and call it a day. Parties must ensure dedicated, accessible funds that allow for implementation across diverse contexts to ensure the programmes moves from glossy brochures to life-changing action.

Climate change is devastating communities, and women and girls in all their diversity and gender-diverse people are disproportionately affected. ALL climate finance must prioritize these realities, which is why the New Collective Quantified Goal also must uphold and provide gender-responsive climate finance. The lack of gender-responsive climate finance to address climate challenges is akin to planning a grand banquet without food—ineffective and, frankly, nonsensical.

2. Human Rights Are Non-Negotiable

Here’s the shocking reality: Some parties have spent the week trying to walk back references to human rights. Yes, in 2024. This rollback attempt not only undermines existing agreements like the Paris Agreement but threatens to erode trust in the UNFCCC process altogether.

Human rights are not just legal jargon; they are the foundation of meaningful and equitable climate action. Women and girls in all their diversity on the frontlines of climate change face everything from food insecurity to violence, with environmental defenders often risking their lives. Ignoring human rights is more than a policy failure—it’s a moral failure. COP29 must stand firm, ensuring that human rights remain central to the new gender work program.

3. Intersectionality: It’s Complicated, But Worth It

Intersectionality is hard—there’s no denying it. Understanding the overlapping realities of gender, sex, race, class, age, and ability isn’t simple. But who said transformative change would be easy? Intersectionality might feel like assembling a 1,000-piece puzzle, but it’s the only way to ensure that climate action is holistic and effective.

Women and girls are not a monolith. Their experiences vary drastically depending on who they are, where they live, and the systems of power that shape their lives. A Lima Work Program that doesn’t reflect this diversity is destined to fail. We need an approach that doesn’t shy away from complexity but embraces it, with clear indicators and timelines that measure real-world impact across all communities.

The Clock Is Ticking

Gender equality is not a “nice-to-have” in climate action; it’s an absolute necessity. Yet, the negotiations here in Baku risk leaving behind the very people they claim to support. We’ve had a week of bracketing, debating, and backtracking. Enough is enough.

The next few days are critical. Parties must rise above entrenched positions and deliver an ambitious, cohesive, and progressive Lima Work Program on Gender. One that scales up finance, safeguards human rights, and champions intersectionality. Anything less would not only fail women and girls but undermine the global fight against climate change itself.

So, to the negotiators still in their huddles: The world is watching. And feminists, as always, are ready to hold the line. Let’s not waste this moment—let’s make history instead.