Activists from global south protest at COP29 calling for finance for less privileged countries

Activists from the global south gathered at the COP29 summit in Baku, demanding that wealthy nations pay trillions of dollars to help less privileged countries deal with the effects of climate change.

Demonstrators say that unity is key, as climate ministers attempt to come to a finance agreement at the summit.

Aishwarya Visvanathan, an activist from the Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development, said, “I think especially toward the ministers from the global south countries they have to stay united and not agree to a deal that is bad. They have to stand firm together and not agree to a bad deal that’s going to harm the global south more than it should.”

Activists are also calling for a move away from fossil fuels, due to the impact on the environment.

Kjell Kühne, a member of Leave it in the Ground Initiative (LINGO), said, ''This is very, symbolic for the problem that exists all around the world that the fossil fuel industry is pushing into these very vulnerable spaces that should be protected but they are not protected. So we are asking countries as they draw up their new NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) to include a measure to move away from fossil fuels which is not to drill and build coal mines in protected areas.”

Vulnerable countries say they require more than one trillion dollars to handle damage resulting from climate change, but this is far from the amount that richer countries want to pay.