BOGA announces COP29 Statement and support for transitioning away from fossil fuels in Baku

PRESS RELEASE:

At the close of the penultimate day of the UN climate talks in Baku, COP29, the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance (BOGA) calls on all governments to work together to raise ambition in the final agreement.

The Alliance, which is co-chaired by Denmark and Quebec, is urging all Parties to deliver a transformative finance deal that supports implementation of the global stocktake (GST) and to incorporate steps towards the transition away from fossil fuels in the next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that are delivered through the Paris Agreement.

This includes ending new licensing rounds for oil and gas exploration and setting Paris-aligned end dates for oil and gas production to ensure a just, orderly and equitable transition to achieve net zero by 2050.

BOGA ministers released a statement at COP29 which said an ambitious finance outcome that facilitates implementation of the GST, including the transition away from fossil fuels, was possible at this meeting if countries worked together.

Countries and institutions including the European Commission and the U.K. also lent their support to the statement. At COP29, the U.K. and Brazil submitted ambitious NDCs.

Lars Aagaard, Denmark’s Minister for Climate, Energy & Utilities, said: “We cannot afford to turn our backs on progress. However, we experience countries pushing back on what we agreed upon in Dubai - a transition away from fossil fuels. That is unacceptable. More countries must set an end date for their oil and gas production and accelerate the green transition. Denmark and fellow BOGA members take our words into action. We will follow up on the transition targets, and we are ready to support more countries in a managed and just transition away from fossil fuels.”

Ed Miliband, U.K. Energy Secretary, said: “It is crucial we transition away from insecure and volatile fossil fuels to secure and clean renewable energy. That’s why it’s so important that Britain is back in the business of climate leadership at COP29, but also at home.

“In the UK we will not be issuing new oil and gas licences, in line with the science and keeping 1.5C alive. Instead, we're focusing on our mission to become a clean energy superpower. Already we’ve delivered the most successful renewables auction round on record, lifted the ban on onshore wind and launched the UK’s Carbon Capture and Storage industry.

“We are also doing this in a fair and orderly way for workers, supporting them with good jobs in the transition to a cleaner and more secure energy future.”

Susana Muhamed, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, said: “Colombia joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance and Coalition Program because we first understand the value of the science of climate change, second, all countries that are on the equator are the ones that are suffering the most with the impacts of climate change, and third, because we hope that there is a possibility of a development model that goes beyond the forced-to-fuel, unequal and life-threatening system that we have created in the next centuries.”

Minister Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport for Ireland, said: “In Dubai last year, the message could not have been clearer – we are moving past the fossil fuel era. This is what the science demands. It’s what our citizens expect. And it’s what we are committed to deliver. The text on the table today fails to deliver on the promise of COP28. If this COP fails to deliver a result that moves us towards this goal, it cannot be considered a success.”

Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, for Quebec, said: "At COP29, BOGA national and subnational governments stand united in our commitment to a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. Québec, as BOGA co-chair for subnational governments, is committed to working with other members and partners to ensure strong NDCs and clear pathways to achieve net zero by 2050. Let us act now to support communities, avoid climate catastrophe, and secure a sustainable future for all.”

Romina Pourmokhtari, Minister for Climate & Environment, Sweden, said: “The transition away from fossil fuels is possible – solutions are available in not least the energy sector. Now is the time to put our plans into place.”

BOGA is working to establish the enabling conditions to support the global transition away from fossil fuels, including mobilising finance and support for just transitions from oil and gas, and developing Paris Aligned pathways for oil and gas production, in line with 1.5°C.

Today BOGA also announces that it will open an NDC window under the US $20 million BOGA Fund, to support countries with analytical, policy and technical assistance to integrate the transition away from fossil fuels in Paragraph 28 of the GST into their NDCs, in collaboration with the NDC Partnership.

The next round of NDCs – national plans developed by each country which outline how they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C – are due in early 2025.

BOGA will also work to develop guidance on NDC measures that support the implementation of GST commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels, building on the shared experience of BOGA governments and Fund countries. This guidance will contribute to the NDC Navigator 3.0.

Pablo Vieira, Global Director, NDC Partnership: “The NDC Partnership is pleased to collaborate with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance to support countries seeking to raise ambition on the next round of NDCs, by providing guidance on oil and gas transition pathways, and by channelling resources for the design and delivery of NDCs that reflect the urgency of the global transition away from fossil fuels. This will help ensure implementation of the historic ambition reflected in para 28 of the GST and help deliver the collective goal of keeping the 1.5 degrees goal alive.”

BOGA also announces Brazil as the latest BOGA Fund recipient. The BOGA Fund provides rapid technical assistance to Global South governments wanting to develop their vision of a beyond oil and gas economy, with the aim of mobilising larger-scale, longer-term funding from public and private sources.

The BOGA Fund has awarded a grant of an initial $400,000 to support analytical and policy dialogue on transition risk, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment. They join Colombia and Kenya, as BOGA Fund countries announced at COP28 in Dubai. 

BOGA and the European Commission also announced a new partnership to promote global ambition and action on the transition away from fossil fuels earlier at COP29.