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Thursday, November 14, 2024

#COP29BAKU--Japan Attendance at Climate Conference--A MISSED OPPORTUNITY


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#COP29Baku 11/15/24/0000EST: Japan, just another face in the #climate conference crowd, limiting its presence, a missed opportunity to take command in light of #Trump backing out of Paris Agreement and #China set on coal standard. #COP29Azerbaijan.
(Image credit: Abaodam Adult Party, Amazon)


Another face in the crowd
Begin Perplexity-AI
Japan's decision not to send high-level representation to COP29 in Baku represents a missed opportunity for the country to demonstrate leadership on climate issues. While many world leaders are skipping this year's conference, Japan's absence is particularly notable given its status as a major economy and significant greenhouse gas emitter.

Reduced Global Attendance

COP29 in Baku is shaping up to be a smaller affair compared to recent climate summits:
  • Overall attendance is expected to be around 65,000-70,000 delegates, down from the record-breaking 83,000+ at COP28 in Dubai last year
    2
    .
  • Many world leaders and high-ranking officials are not attending, including:
    • U.S. President Joe Biden
    • European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
    • French President Emmanuel Macron
    • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
    • Brazilian President Luiz InĂ¡cio Lula da Silva
      1
      4
Japan is among several major economies, including China, Australia and Mexico, that are not listed on the UN agenda for leader speeches
4
.

Reasons for Lower Attendance

Several factors are contributing to reduced participation this year:
  • Baku's more limited hosting capacity compared to Dubai
  • The relatively late confirmation of Azerbaijan as host
  • Expected lower corporate and private sector representation
  • Concerns about Azerbaijan's fossil fuel industry ties and human rights record
    3

Impact of Japan's Absence

As the world's fifth-largest CO2 emitter, Japan's lack of high-level representation at COP29 is significant:
  • It may signal reduced prioritization of climate issues by the Japanese government
  • It's a missed chance for Japan to shape key discussions on climate finance and emissions reductions
  • It could undermine efforts to build global consensus on ambitious climate action

Key Issues at COP29

Despite lower attendance, COP29 will address critical climate topics:
  • Setting a new global climate finance goal to replace the previous $100 billion annual target
  • Pushing for more ambitious emissions reduction commitments
  • Discussing climate resilience initiatives for farmers, water basins, and urban areas
    3
Japan's expertise and economic influence could have been valuable in these conversations.

Looking Ahead

While Japan's absence from COP29 is disappointing, there will be future opportunities for engagement:
  • COP30 in Brazil in 2025 is expected to be a larger, more high-profile event
  • The G20 Summit in November 2024 will also focus on climate transition financing
    4
Japan should consider how to reassert its commitment to global climate efforts in these upcoming forums.

Why did Japan miss the opportunity to attend COP29
Japan's decision not to send high-level representation to COP29 in Baku represents a significant missed opportunity for the country to demonstrate leadership on climate issues. Here are the key points regarding Japan's absence and its implications:

Reduced Global Attendance

COP29 is experiencing lower overall attendance compared to recent climate summits:
  • Expected attendance is around 65,000-70,000 delegates, down from over 83,000 at COP28 in Dubai
    1
    .
  • Many world leaders and high-ranking officials are not attending, including the U.S. President, European Commission President, and leaders from France, Germany, and Brazil
    1
    .
Japan is among several major economies, including China and Australia, that are not listed on the UN agenda for leader speeches
3
.

Reasons for Japan's Absence

While specific reasons for Japan's absence are not provided in the search results, some general factors contributing to reduced participation include:
  • Baku's more limited hosting capacity compared to Dubai
    1
  • The relatively late confirmation of Azerbaijan as host
    1
  • Expected lower corporate and private sector representation
    1

Impact of Japan's Absence

As the world's fifth-largest CO2 emitter, Japan's lack of high-level representation at COP29 is significant:
  • It may signal reduced prioritization of climate issues by the Japanese government
    3
    .
  • It's a missed chance for Japan to shape key discussions on climate finance and emissions reductions
    5
    .
  • It could undermine efforts to build global consensus on ambitious climate action
    5
    .

Key Issues at COP29

Despite lower attendance, COP29 will address critical climate topics:
  • Setting a new global climate finance goal to replace the previous $100 billion annual target
    5
    7
    .
  • Pushing for more ambitious emissions reduction commitments
    5
    .
  • Discussing climate resilience initiatives for vulnerable sectors
    5
    .
Japan's expertise and economic influence could have been valuable in these conversations.


How does Japan's delegation size at COP29 compare to other Asian countries

Based on the search results provided, Japan's delegation size at COP29 appears to be relatively large compared to other Asian countries, though not the largest. Here are the key points regarding Japan's delegation and how it compares:
  1. Japan's delegation size: Japan has registered 595 delegates for COP29
    1
    .
     This puts Japan in the top 10 largest delegations overall.
  2. Comparison to other Asian countries:
    • China has a larger delegation with 969 registered participants
      1
      .
    • Indonesia also has a larger delegation with 810 registered participants
      1
      .
    • Turkey, which straddles Asia and Europe, has an even larger delegation of 1,862 participants
      1
      .
  3. Historical context: At COP28 in 2023, Japan had registered 1,067 delegates
    2
    , indicating a reduction in delegation size for COP29.
  4. Overall ranking: Japan's delegation of 595 people puts it in 9th place overall among all countries attending COP29
    1
    .
  5. Regional significance: While not the largest Asian delegation, Japan's presence is still substantial compared to many other countries from the region and globally.
It's worth noting that delegation sizes can fluctuate from year to year and may be influenced by various factors, including the host country, specific agenda items, and national priorities. The reduction in Japan's delegation size from COP28 to COP29 aligns with a general trend of smaller delegations at this year's conference, which is expected to have around 40,000 attendees overall compared to over 80,000 at COP28.

 Alice C. Hill and Priyanka Mahat
COP29 Summit in Baku: What to Expect | Council on Foreign Relations

 Euronews Green
‘A total waste of time’: The world leaders shunning COP29 over political spats and lost confidence | Euronews




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