Live Reporting
Edited by Jack Burgess at COP29 in Baku, with Malu Cursino and Matt Spivey in London
Want more on climate? The BBC has you coveredpublished at 16:34 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
16:34 GMT 24 November
Malu Cursino
Live page editorHere is the moment the climate cash deal was gavelled through more than 32 hours after the conference was due to end, as my colleague Jack Burgess has been providing all the updates from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku. If you want more on COP29, we have you covered.
Key takeaways from COP29: Now that climate talks in Baku have wrapped up my colleague, environment correspondent Matt McGrath, looks at the take home messages from COP29 from re-opened feuds between rich and poor to the host country's role in negotiations.
Are we doing enough? Scientists, politicians and world leaders met at the annual UN climate conference in Baku in what's set to be the hottest year on record. The BBC's Mark Poynting and Georgina Rannard look at what progress countries have already made to tackle climate change.
Impact of US elections on climate talks in Baku: The BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt looks at whether China will step up in the climate space with the prospect of US president-elect Donald Trump withdrawing the US from the COP process when he takes office for a second time looming over.
Listen: In their latest episode the Climate Question looks at how climate change affects our everyday lives - from prices at supermarket to where we go on holiday.
We're now ending our live coverage, thank you for following along with us in the moments leading up to the deal, and during the criticism in the aftermath today. For now, you can keep up to date with the latest from our colleagues on the news desk.
Image source, Tony Jolliffe / BBCWho pays the $300bn, and to who?published at 16:15 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
16:15 GMT 24 November
There's been a lot of talk today about the $300bn climate deal, but who pays what and where does the money go?
So, who's paying?
Richer countries, or the "developed" nations, will be paying the $300bn per year by 2035 to help the poorer countries tackle the impacts of climate change.
Including the UK, countries in the EU, Japan and the US, there are 23 countries whose economies are deemed resilient enough to allow them to support their less well off counterparts around the globe.
Who gets the cash?
African countries like Sierra Leone and Senegal, small island nations such as Tuvalu, South American countries and, well, everyone who isn't considered "developed" will be receiving the cash.
For small island nations such as Tuvalu, rising sea levels as a result of melting glaciers will one day mean their entire country is submerged. Severe droughts and floods are other big issues affecting landlocked countries in Africa and South America.
Large swathes of the Global South are included in the mix, part of the explanation of why they are including is that many of them are former European colonies, as well as their location on the globe.
What will the cash be used for?
Each nation struggling with the impact of global warming has a different set of needs and the cash is aimed at assisting nations to manage the impacts of climate change and adapting to a greener future.
However, we don't know yet how the money will be split.
Climate deal 'woefully inadequate' but we hold onto hope, Greenpeace sayspublished at 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
16:00 GMT 24 November
Image source, Tony Jolliffe / BBCThe head of Greenpeace's delegation at COP29 says the last-minute climate finance deal is "woefully inadequate", blaming countries that export fossil fuels as "merchants of despair".
Jasper Inventor says the "true opponents are the fossil fuel merchants of despair and reckless nature destroyers who hide snugly behind every government's low climate ambition".
"People are fed-up, disillusioned," Inventor says, adding that "we will not give up".
"As we look to COP30 in Belem [in Brazil], we must hold on to hope - hope that is firmly anchored on people demanding climate ambition," he adds.
Five key takeaways from COP29 climate talkspublished at 15:34 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
15:34 GMT 24 November
Matt McGrath
Environment correspondentImage source, Tony Jolliffe / BBCCOP29 is over and developing countries are complaining that the $300bn (about £240bn) a year in climate finance they will receive by 2035 is a "paltry sum" - but what are the key takeaways?
The big fight over money re-opened old divisions between rich and poor, with an anger and bitterness I have not seen in years.
This year's climate summit in Azerbaijan, a country with no real history of involvement in the COP process, proved to be almost beyond the hosts.
With the role of the US in future climate talks in doubt because of president-elect Trump, attention shifted to who might become the real climate leader in the expected absence of the US over the next four years. The natural successor is China.
And, although he was not there, Trump’s presence was felt across COP.
Another very noticeable trend at COP29 was the sometimes more aggressive stance taken by many environmental NGOs and campaigners.
- Read more on the key takeaways from COP29.
The latest climate news in your inboxpublished at 15:08 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
15:08 GMT 24 November
COP29 might have wrapped up but you can sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to get exclusive insight on the latest climate and environment news from the BBC's Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt, delivered to your inbox every week.
Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
What can individuals do about climate change?published at 14:41 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
14:41 GMT 24 November
Major changes need to come from governments and businesses to tackle the impacts of climate change, and what they do or don't do has been heavily scrutinised by climate activists at COP29 during the last two weeks.
But individuals can also help through actions like:
- taking fewer flights
- using less energy
- improving home insulation and energy efficiency
- switching to electric vehicles or living car-free
- replacing gas central heating with electric systems like heat pumps
- eating less red meat
New deal follows a trail of broken promisespublished at 14:14 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
14:14 GMT 24 November
Jocelyn Timperley & Isabelle Gerretsen
BBC Future PlanetWe've just been reporting on the previous cash pledge agreed by rich countries, who had a target to send $100bn (£79.7bn) per year to poorer nations by 2020.
A new deal has now been agreed - of $300bn each year by 2035 - and the money provided by wealthier nations is meant to help less well off countries transition to a greener economy and cope with the impacts of climate change.
But talks in Baku weren't made easier by a trail of broken promises.
As the chart below shows, rich countries have repeatedly broken a previous key climate finance goal: to deliver at least $100bn per year from 2020 onwards. They reached the goal for the first time in 2022, two years late.
Image source, Miriam Quick/ Yun Sun Park/ BBCThis failure has led to "a lot of anger and frustration " as well as "a lack of trust and confidence" among countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis, says Sarah Colenbrander, director of the climate and sustainability programme at the Overseas Development Institute.
- Read more on the trillion-dollar climate puzzle that's become a diplomatic nightmare.
What about inflation?published at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
13:54 GMT 24 November
Mark Poynting
Climate and environment researcherThe target for $300bn (about £240bn) of climate finance each year for developing countries by 2035 might sound a large increase from the previous target of $100bn by 2020.
But it’s worth taking inflation into account.
If we assume annual inflation of 5% - a rough approximation of average global inflation since 2020 and the International Monetary Fund’s forecast up to 2025 - then $100bn in 2020 would be worth $208bn in 2035.
Clearly these are rather crude calculations, as we don’t know how inflation will change by 2035.
But these estimates help explain why many developing nations are so upset by the $300bn figure.
And as we reported yesterday, the small print around the $300bn target only says that developed countries should be "taking the lead".
The text also puts the onus on private finance, as well as public funds, meaning not allof it will have to be paid for directly by governments. Private finance contributed to the $100bn goal too, but was a smaller proportion compared with public funds.
'Climate cash should reach those in need, quickly' - International Red Crosspublished at 13:38 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
13:38 GMT 24 November
Image source, Getty ImagesThe real test of the COP29 climate cash deal will be measured by how fast money reaches those most impacted by climate change, says Jagan Chapagain from the International Red Cross.
"The new global climate finance goal's success will be judged by whether increased funds reach the communities that need them most," Chapagain says, "and by whether they reach them fast".
The climate crisis is affecting people's "physical and mental health" every day, the head of the humanitarian organisation says.
Adding that efforts must be ramped up on managing and reducing risks, including more effective laws and policies.
"Families andcommunities are already dealing with the very real impacts of climate change - let us build solidarity, trust and real urgency of action," Chapagain says.
What's the state of global fossil fuel use?published at 13:12 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
13:12 GMT 24 November
Last year's COP called for a global "transition away from fossil fuels", marking the first time that the world had taken direct aim at coal, oil and gas.
This year, despite developed nations including the UK asking for stronger commitments by countries to cut down on fossil fuels, the final deal merely repeated the earlier phrasing.
Fossil fuel use is still rising, with CO2 emissions projected to reach a new high in 2024 at 37.4bn tonnes, up 0.8% from 2023, according to research by the international Global Carbon Project team.
The UN has warned that if all the coal, oil and gas from existing and under-construction projects were burned, the world would likely warm far beyond the globally agreed target of 1.5C.
In photos: Climate activists call for more actionpublished at 13:01 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
13:01 GMT 24 November
Climate activists from different groups and communities joined the almost two-week-long summit demanding that richer countries "pay up" to help developing nations cope with the effects of the climate crisis.
Image source, ReutersImage source, ReutersImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockImage source, ReutersClimate cash deal 'marks new era', says EU chiefpublished at 12:37 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
12:37 GMT 24 November
Image source, ReutersThe president of the EU Commission has welcomed the COP29 deal, saying it "marks a new era for climate cooperation and finance".
"It will drive investments in the clean [energy] transition, bringing down emissions and building resilience to climate change," Ursula von der Leyen says in a post on social media.
"The EU will continue to lead, focusing support on the most vulnerable", she adds.
$300bn deal sign of progress but still falls short, UK climate expert sayspublished at 12:10 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
12:10 GMT 24 November
Nigel Topping, a member of the UK's Climate Change Committee (CCC), says the pledge by rich nations to pay $300bn (£239bn) per year by 2035 is a sign of progress but still falls short.
"On the hand, it is a trebling of the previous level," he adds, referring to an earlier $100bn per year pledge.
Topping says he sees scope for more financing in future climate talks.
"Every country that is agreeing to language to increase financing is also thinking about the domestic arguments, which is not always easy," he says.
"We're already seeing big reforms in the multilateral finance system," he says, adding that although the deal is disappointing for poorer countries, it still marks a step forward.
COP29 deal 'very disappointing', says climate activistpublished at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
11:40 GMT 24 November
We're getting more reaction to the climate cash deal reached at COP29 overnight.
Dr Laura Young, a climate activist and environmental scientist, says climate finance is always a "sticking point" as countries are reluctant to sign over large sums of money, adding this year's event lacked real momentum.
"There actually hasn’t been that much energy in this conference", she tells BBC Radio 5 Live.
COP29 host Azerbaijan "have certainly not been doing their bit", she says, and the final deal was "very disappointing".
Another issue has been with the incoming US president-elect Donald Trump who is "actively a climate change denier", Dr Young says, adding that she believes the COP model needs reform.
Will China step up if Trump takes a step back on climate change?published at 11:08 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
11:08 GMT 24 November
Justin Rowlatt
Climate editorThe WhatsApp message was from the chief negotiator of one of the most powerful countries at the COP climate gathering: "Could I stop by for a chat", he asked.
As his team hunched over computers eating takeaway pizza, he raged about the obstructionist behaviour of many of the other teams at the conference.
So far, so normal. Others had been saying versions of this all week – that this was the worst COP ever; that negotiating texts, which are meant to get smaller as deadlines approached, were in fact ballooning; that COP in its current form might be dead in the water.
Looming over it all was the prospect of US president-elect Donald Trump withdrawing the US from the COP process when he takes office for a second time.
He has called climate action a "scam" and, at his victory celebration in West Palm Beach earlier this month, vowed to boost US oil production beyond its current record levels, saying, "we have more liquid gold than any country in the world".
Image source, Getty ImagesBut there was one positive: China.
"It's the only bright spot in all of this is," the chief negotiator told me. Not only was its negotiating style markedly different to previous years, but he also observed that, as he puts it, "China could be stepping forward".
Traditionally, China has released minimal information about its climate policies and plans, so it came as a surprise when, for the first time, officials said they have paid developing countries more than $24bn for climate action since 2016.
“That’s serious money, almost nobody else is at that level”, one COP insider told me.
- Read my full piece for BBC InDepth
Why India and China being classified as 'developing' matterspublished at 10:45 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
10:45 GMT 24 November
China and India are still defined by the United Nations as "developing" countries.
As a result, the nations have no formal obligation to cut their greenhouse gas emissions or to provide financial help to poorer countries.
They are technically eligible to receive climate aid, although China chooses not to do so.
Image source, ReutersBeijing, one of the world's largest economies, does step in to support countries with the impact of global warming, via bilateral agreements.
Under the new deal fleshed out at COP, China's voluntary support in climate cash will now count towards the overall sum going to the nations most vulnerable to the climate crisis.
India, however, does accept support from "developed" nations.
In reaction to the climate deal reached yesterday, India's delegate Chandni Raina said it was a "paltry sum" and an "abysmally poor" deal.
"This document is little more than an optical illusion. This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face," she said.
Climate change: Where do we stand?published at 10:27 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
10:27 GMT 24 November
A recent UN report warned that current policies put the world on track for around 3C warming by the end of the century, with other organisations mirroring those figures.
This is well above the target set out in the Paris agreement - which about 200 countries signed in 2015 - which aimed to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
The 1.5C target is still "technically possible", the UN says, but would need significant cuts to emissions in the next 10 years.
Why Taliban delegates caught the world's attention at COPpublished at 10:14 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
10:14 GMT 24 November
Ilkin Hasanov
BBC News AzerbaijanAt the summit I spoke to Mutual Haq Nabi Kheel, who is the chief of Afghanistan's environment protection agency.
The Taliban government's concern with climate change caught the world’s attention earlier this week when several delegates arrived at the COP29 environment talks in Azerbaijan.
Normally shunned by the international community, the Taliban delegation was allowed to attend because of the severe problems facing Afghanistan.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe country is seen as one of the most vulnerable to climate change, as well as being one of the lowest emitters of greenhouse gases.
Kheel says the Taliban delegation is "raising the voice of people vulnerable to the impact of climate change, including women, children and men".
He wants he wants to "normalise" discussions and "resume these environmental projects in the future".
The Taliban government has asked the international community, which suspended funding for climate projects when they seized power, to start donating again.
The group took power three years ago and the UN has described the country's situation since as “gender apartheid”, with severe restrictions placed on women and girls’ freedom to attend secondary school, visit parks or gyms.
It’s all in the balancepublished at 09:51 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
09:51 GMT 24 November
Justin Rowlatt
Climate editor, on the moveImage source, EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockFair and balanced, that’s what the lead negotiators always say they are seeking from agreements at these COP conferences.
What they really mean is they are looking for compromises.
"Imagine trying to arrange a drink with your friends”, is how one senior official in the UN climate process put it: "Except there are 197 of them, they all have different tastes and some of them are teetotal. You are going to have to compromise."
And reading the text of the final agreement you can discern the traces of some of those concessions.
Developed countries increased their initial $250bn (£199bn) a year offer to $300bn – was that in exchange for getting a recommitment to last year’s pledge to "transition away from fossil fuels"?
What was the deal that ensured the words "fossil fuels" don’t ever appear in the final documents?
And my colleague EsmeStallard asks what persuaded delegates to bow to pressure from an "unholytrinity" of Saudi Arabia, the Vatican and Russia to block progress on women’s and gay rights.
What is a 'developing' country?published at 09:36 Greenwich Mean Time 24 November
09:36 GMT 24 November
Mark Poynting
Climate and environment researcherThe terms "developed" and "developing" crop up a lot in talksaround climate cash – but what do they actually mean?
Essentially, "developed" means richer, industrialisedcountries, such as the UK and the US, and "developing" means poorer nations oremerging economies.
These classifications largely go back to the original UNFramework Convention on Climate Change in 1992.
They are important because they dictate which countries areobliged to contribute to climate finance.
There are currently 23 "developed" countries that have to contribute.
But many developed countries want to see this group expanded,arguing that the global landscape has shifted a lot since 1992.
China, India and the Gulf states, for example, are still classed as developing nations despite their increasing contributions to global warming.
