UIII Participates in UN’s COP29 Conference on Climate Change

November 26, 2024

Contributor: Supriyono | Editor: Dadi Darmadi | Photo: Sonny Mumbunan

Baku, Azerbaijan — Sonny Mumbunan, Ph.D, Head of the Master of Public Policy (MPP) in Climate Change program at UIII attended the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The international climate conference, held from November 11 to 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan, gathered representatives from UN member states to discuss critical climate change issues.

Speaking from the event, Dr. Sonny Mumbunan shared insights into the pivotal discussions at the conference. "This year, one of the most critical agendas, if not the most critical, is climate finance,” he said. “Under the Paris Agreement, developed countries are mandated to provide financial resources to support developing nations in addressing climate change.”

The aim of UNFCCC COP29 is to establish a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) on climate finance that should be agreed to be above USD 100 billion annually. “This new target represents the crux of the debates at this conference,” Dr. Sonny Mumbunan said. The UN Climate Conference has adopted in its final decision that developed country Parties to pay at least USD 300 billion every year by 2035 for developing country Parties for climate actions.

The NCQG is expected to build on the commitments made during the Paris Agreement, ensuring the financial mechanisms are not only more robust but also capable of meeting the escalating demands of climate adaptation and mitigation efforts globally.

UIII’s participation in COP29 highlights its dedication to addressing global climate challenges through education and evidence-informed policy advocacy. Since 2023, UIII opened Master of Public Policy (MPP) focusing on Climate Change under the Faculty of Social Sciences. The MPP in Climate Change, arguably the world’s first master program of its kind in and for the Global South, is currently being attended by students from 18 countries of this region. 

Dr. Sonny Mumbunan’s attendance at the climate conference, where he has represented Indonesia since COP18 in 2012, highlights the university’s commitment to equipping future policymakers with the knowledge, expertise and global network necessary to navigate complex global climate issues.

Click for more information on our MPP in Climate Change Program