Delegates express cautious optimism on second day of climate summit

Delegates attending COP29 expressed cautious optimism ahead of the second day of the United Nations’ annual climate conference in Baku on Wednesday.

”So intense negotiations started just yesterday, but now we are seeing different opinions and comments from countries on what they expect," said Kenyan government representative Marlena Nyanserema-Achoki. "So we are optimistic, yes, but let's see how the first week ends."

"What I've been really optimistic about is what happened yesterday with the UK...that is incredible international leadership," said Pascale Palmer from the We Mean Business Coalition.

On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced an 81% emissions reduction target on 1990 levels by 2035, in line with the Paris Agreement goal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. That’s up from the 78% the UK had already pledged.

More than two dozen world leaders will deliver remarks at COP29 on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s agenda also includes an update on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, an idea modeled on predecessor treaty movements that sought to build international support for controls on nuclear weapons, plastic pollution and chemical weapons.