29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29)

Why in the news?

• The 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• About 200 countries, including India, are participating in this environment-related program.
• It will mainly focus on setting a new target for climate finance for the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
• India has been given 18-19 November to present its side in this conference.
• India's key priorities in this conference:
  • Ensuring accountability of developed countries on climate finance
  • Achieving the goal of equitable transition of energy sources
• The Taliban will participate in the United Nations Climate Conference for the first time after taking power in Afghanistan in the year 2021.
  • The Taliban is currently not officially recognized as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

• It is a global environmental treaty to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earth's climate system.
• It was officially ratified in the year 1992.
• Its other names- Earth Summit, Rio Summit and Rio Conference
• Its supreme decision-making body is the Conference of Parties (COP).
  • It holds annual meetings.
  • Assess progress in tackling climate change.
• India became a party to the UNFCCC in the year 1993.
• It came into force on 21 March 1994.
• Under this, the first Conference of the Parties (COP) was held in Berlin, Germany in 1995.