Negotiator Reveals Readiness to Withdraw from Climate Summit

A principal negotiator representing the coalition of small island nations, which exited the UN climate discussions on Saturday, nearly causing their breakdown, informed BBC News that the coalition had been prepared to withdraw from the summit entirely. Michai Robertson, who serves as the finance negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), stated that other nations were “laughing at them” because they requested greater financial contributions to assist in addressing climate change. He indicated that the negotiations reached a “boiling point,” yet their departure demonstrated the influence of his group. He asserted, “We’re not going to be walked over, as we have been many times in the past.” The withdrawal occurred as the discussions had extended beyond their scheduled time by 19 hours, creating a highly dramatic moment during the tense COP29 talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, which surprised attendees. AOSIS was joined by a separate coalition known as the Least Developing Countries. Mr Robertson emphasized that upcoming negotiations, such as COP30 in Brazil next year, need to “put aside petty geopolitics.” He stated that “all signs indicate” that the election of US President Donald Trump prior to the talks contributed to a weaker final agreement at COP29. Reporters are barred from the negotiation rooms, and this marks the initial instance the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) has publicly discussed their reasons for departing. This event represented the sole occasion in the 29-year history of UN climate negotiations that AOSIS has staged a walkout. AOSIS represents 39 nations and territories, including Samoa, Barbados, and Trinidad, which are especially susceptible to climate change and possess limited means to manage its effects. During UN climate summits, their primary concerns involve securing increased funding to address issues such as eroding coastlines and severe weather phenomena. Furthermore, they advocate for significantly more robust measures to combat the root causes of climate change, specifically the combustion of fossil fuels. Their guiding principle is “1.5 to stay alive,” which references the established objective of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial benchmarks. Present UN forecasts indicate that, absent intervention, the planet is on track for a minimum of 3.1C of warming. AOSIS contends this represents a death sentence for the inhabitants of the islands. When the walkout occurred, ministers were deliberating in “Meeting Room 3” at the COP venue, attempting to finalize the specifics of a financial agreement, even though the discussions had already exceeded their scheduled duration by over 18 hours. Mr Robertson described the walk-out as “spontaneous” rather than premeditated. He remarked, “It was so quick and instinctive.” “Evans Njewa [the chair of the Least Developed Group] raised his country flag. He took the floor and explained how frustrated he was,” Mr Robertson recounted. “‘You’re not hearing us’, he said. Then he stood up. Everyone stood up with him and then we just left,” he further explained. Reporters positioned outside the meeting room observed the door open and the delegation of negotiators exit. Mr Robertson stated that the two delegations proceeded to “Meeting Room 11” located adjacent. He commented, “As soon as we did that everyone was calling us – the COP presidency, developed counties, the chair of G77 [another powerful bloc of developing countries].” He expressed, “It’s really sad that it took us walking out to get that.” He indicated that AOSIS was dissatisfied because their requests for additional ring-fenced funding were disregarded. He asserted, “The size of the damage to our economies [from climate change] outweighs any sort of per capita calculation of how much money we’re getting.” He cited the effects of Hurricane Maria in 2017 on the Caribbean island of Dominica. He further noted, “It wiped out over 200% of its GDP. You can’t say that for many other developing countries.” Mr Robertson stated that AOSIS has consistently adopted a “pragmatic” stance in these discussions, given their significant vulnerability to escalating climate change and their comparatively limited influence against major powers such as the US and China. He explained that the COP process holds importance for them as it represents the sole global platform where their perspectives are considered, yet he added, “we’re also kind of held hostage by the process.” Ultimately, AOSIS rejoined the negotiating table, and an agreement was reached in the early hours of Sunday morning. This accord stipulated that developed nations would contribute $300bn annually until 2035 to developing countries; however, this amount fell significantly below the $500bn in public finances that had been requested. The agreement also acknowledged in principle that a total of $1.3tn from both public and private sources is required for developing nations, but it did not specify the origin of these funds or who would be responsible for their payment. Mr Robertson attributed AOSIS’s return to the discussions to “acquiescence.” He stated, “The $300bn goal is not sufficient,” but added that they intend to pursue greater financial ambition in future years. He concluded, “The best thing that came out of this is that they know we are a force to be reckoned with.”