The COP29 Presidency has announced the appointment of Ministerial Pairs for Adaptation, Mitigation and Article 6, to help guide and inform political consultations on these important topics. This announcement completes the appointment of COP29 Ministerial Pairs, following the earlier announcements for the Ministerial Pair on the NCQG and High-Level Pair on Transparency.
The COP29 Ministerial Pairs are playing an important role in escalating political engagement ahead of COP29 in Baku and raising the key priorities of the COP29 Presidency up the global political agenda.
They will play a significant role during Pre-COP in Baku, from October 10th – 11th, which will include a series of important climate negotiations. During Pre-COP, and in the lead up to and during COP29, the COP29 Ministerial Pairs will have the opportunity to engage in political consultations to make progress on these key issues.
H.E. Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications of Ireland and H.E. Franz Tattenbach, Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica have been appointed as the Ministerial Pair on Adaptation. The COP29 Presidency has tasked the Ministerial Pair with leading consultations on key adaptation issues, to help enhance understanding about current priorities and perspectives, identify possible opportunities and barriers, and facilitate progress on substance. Adaptation is an important priority for the COP29 Presidency as it is an indispensable component of the long-term global response to climate change, to build resilience and protect people, livelihoods, and ecosystems.
The COP29 Presidency has appointed H.E. Tore O. Sandvik, Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway and H.E. Dr Dion Travers George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa as the Ministerial Pair on Mitigation. The Ministerial Pair will be tasked with facilitating discussions to help Parties collaborate on mitigation and make progress under the relevant mandates to present a solid basis for continuing discussions in Baku. Mitigation is an important priority for the COP29 Presidency, as enhanced mitigation ambition for deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5°C pathways is urgently needed, in this critical decade and beyond.
H.E. Grace Fu Hai Yien, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment of Singapore and H.E. Simon Watts, Minister of Climate Change of New Zealand have been appointed as the Ministerial Pair on Article 6, to help fully operationalise this important part of the Paris Agreement, which sets out how countries can pursue voluntary cooperation to reach their climate targets. The full operationalisation of Article 6 is one of the COP29 Presidency’s main priorities for its vision to enhance ambition and enable action. The Ministerial Pair will guide political consultations on Article 6 to build momentum to finalise its implementation at COP29.
The announcement follows the appointments of H.E. Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy of Australia and H.E. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment Mitigation of Egypt as the Ministerial Pair on the NCQG, and H.E. Francesco Carvaro, Special Envoy for Climate Change of Italy and H.E. Zulfiya Suleimanova, Advisor to the President of Kazakhstan and Special Representative for International Environmental Cooperation of Kazakhstan as the High Level Pair on Transparency.
