RIYADH: Global climate finance continues to fall short of expectations, as leaders gathered at the COP29 Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Finance to address ongoing challenges and map out next steps. The meeting, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, underscored the urgent need for increased and more effective funding mechanisms. COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev emphasized that climate finance plays a central role in the broader negotiations. “The urgency of the situation is evident,” Babayev remarked, pointing to the severe impacts of climate change observed over the past year. “Recently, we witnessed catastrophic flooding in Spain, and in the Pacific region, island communities are faced with the possibility of being wiped out entirely. We must act now; failure to do so will have grave human and economic costs.” The president stressed the importance of fulfilling the $100 billion-per-year commitment made in Copenhagen and reiterated in Paris, urging leaders to reflect on lessons learned and consider the quality and allocation of financial resources. Developing countries once again voiced the need for tangible action, with Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad highlighting the importance of aligning climate finance with the goals of the Paris Agreement. “This is a ‘put your money where your mouth is’ moment,” Prasad said. “The 1.5°C temperature goal and the Paris Agreement itself will not be deliverable from both an economic and scientific perspective if we do not invest right. The New Collective Quantified Goal is critical for aligning our priorities and addressing major inconsistencies,” he added. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to climate finance, noting that the $100 billion goal was first collectively met in 2022, with contributions reaching $115.9 billion. “The EU and its member states contributed €28.5 billion, or around $30 billion, in climate finance from public sources,” a representative said. “Almost half of the public funding came in the form of grants, with a significant portion provided on concessional terms. We need to make further efforts to facilitate the mobilization of private funding, as it remains a key source of climate finance,” the representative added. Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, emphasized the critical juncture at which the global community now finds itself. “The huge opportunities we have and the terrible risks we face are real,” Stiell said. “It’s time to take action to bridge gaps, solve problems, and come together to ensure climate finance and climate action benefit everyone.” Sweden also announced a significant new contribution, with Ministerial representatives unveiling an $8 billion Swedish krona ($723.6 million) pledge to the second replenishment of the Green Climate Fund. “This makes Sweden the largest per capita donor to the GCF among the larger donors,” the Swedish representative noted. As discussions progressed, leaders acknowledged the widening gap between current financial commitments and the funds required to meet the 1.5°C target. There were calls for more robust mobilization of both public and private finance. The COP29 president concluded: “Delivering the climate fairness that developing countries need is one of the main metrics of shared success. We can learn from past efforts to inform the road ahead, but significant determination and leadership from all parties are required to bridge these critical gaps.”