This year, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will once again participate in COP29, the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference to be held in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.

The EESC will be represented by Peter Schmidt, chair of the Ad Hoc Group on the COP, and the EESC youth delegate to the COP, Diandra Ní Bhuachalla. At the conference, the EESC will reiterate the messages from its recently adopted opinion on climate finance and will repeat its calls for an inclusive and equitable transition, ensuring that climate action does not increase social inequality. The EESC will also advocate sustainable agri-food systems, renewable energy, energy efficiency, green technologies and the alignment of biodiversity and climate goals. By participating in COP29, the EESC aims to ensure that the voice of European civil society is heard and that the outcomes of the conference reflect balanced, socially just solutions to the climate crisis. (ks)