# New York Times Energy Politics Reporter Max Bearak Expresses Skepticism about the Outcome of COP 29 in Newest Episode of “Environmental Insights” December 04, 2024 **CAMBRIDGE MA. –** [Max Bearak](https://www.nytimes.com/by/max-bearak), an energy policy and global climate negotiations reporter for the *New York Times*, shared his perspectives on the recently concluded [29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)](https://unfccc.int/cop29) in the newest episode of “[Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program](https://soundcloud.com/environmentalinsights/).” The podcast is produced by the [Harvard Environmental Economics Program](http://www.heep.hks.harvard.edu/). Listen to the interview [here](https://on.soundcloud.com/rzoUNsqRu9os3vhh7). Hosted by [Robert N. Stavins](https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/robert-stavins), A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy and Economic Development at [Harvard Kennedy School](http://www.hks.harvard.edu/) and director of the [Harvard Environmental Economics Program](http://www.heep.hks.harvard.edu/) and the [Harvard Project on Climate Agreements](https://www.belfercenter.org/project/harvard-project-climate-agreements), Environmental Insights is intended to promote public discourse on important issues at the intersection of economics and environmental policy. Hosted by the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan in the capital city of Baku on November 11-22, COP 29 concluded with a pledge by developed nations to contribute $300 billion annually to developing countries to address climate change, short of the $1.3 trillion developing countries were hoping to obtain. Bearak expressed some disappointment with the outcome. “What ended up coming out of this COP was a kind of kitchen sink approach where developed countries said, ‘we will take the lead in trying to get together around 300 billion dollars a year, and not starting right now, but starting a decade from now,’” he said. “And the additional trillion will be made up by a huge variety of sources in the private sector, in multilateral development banks, carbon markets, you name it, basically everything else. And developing countries were left with a sense that their needs were not being taken very seriously.” Bearak said the sentiment felt by developing nations was reflected in comments delivered shortly after the conferenced was gaveled to a close. “The first speaker after that gavel was the representative from India, Chandni Raina, who is a spokesman for the Indian Finance Ministry. And she gave one of the most scathing speeches I've ever heard at a COP really tearing down the Azerbaijani presidency as leading essentially a sham process that did in the end push through a resolution that most developing countries found to be an insult,” he said. Negotiators settled for a less-than-ambitious agreement, Bearak argued, due to the nature of the COP’s decision-making process. “The final agreement \[falls within\] the boundary between what is politically possible and what's needed. And so, you get to the lower end of what's needed, which is the higher end of what's politically possible, and that's essentially what happens every year,” he said. “Watching that boundary tells you exactly where we are, and I think that's what is fascinating about COP is the distillation of where that line is on a given year.” Bearak said the American delegation certainly had a voice during the COP, but because the outcome of the recent presidential election is almost certain to presage U.S. withdrawal from future global climate negotiations, the delegation’s impact in Baku was limited. “Sitting down with John Podesta, the U.S. Climate Envoy, for example, he would tell you the U.S. was extremely active in these negotiations,” Bearak remarked. “I think they certainly may have been active, but I'm not sure that anybody felt like they could plan on U.S. support being there in the coming years, which ultimately puts a lot more pressure on both China and the European Union as the most likely sources of bilateral climate finance.” The next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), aimed at achieving net zero carbon emission goals, are due to be presented at COP 30 next year in Brazil, but Bearak said he isn’t very optimistic about those negotiations. “I think the reason that we even got a deal despite so much discord in Baku was the feeling that if we don't get a climate finance deal now, we might have to wait half a decade before having that kind of multilateral spirit come back,” he stated. “So, I think the COP in Brazil is going to be… hampered. The vibes are going to be more pessimistic \[than they were in Baku\], and it's just going to be really tough for them to provide a sense of optimism and the sense that the world is making progress and taking a step forward, which is ultimately what all of these COPs \[are designed to do.\]” Bearak’s interview is the ninth episode during 2024 in the [Environmental Insights](https://soundcloud.com/environmentalinsights/) series, with one additional episode scheduled to drop later this month. “Environmental Insights is intended to inform and educate listeners about important issues relating to an economic perspective on developments in environmental policy, including the design and implementation of market-based approaches to environmental protection,” said Stavins. “We speak with accomplished Harvard colleagues, other academics, and practitioners who are working on solving some of the most challenging public problems we face.” Environmental Insights is hosted on [SoundCloud](https://soundcloud.com/environmentalinsights) and is also available on [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cd70f458-c1f4-4f11-bf64-c9e0dc71ee5b), [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/environmental-insights-conversations-on-policy-practice/id1482761966), [Pocket Casts](https://pca.st/keck3o78), [Podcast Addict](https://www.podcastaddict.com/podcast/3374959), and [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6WBWmeXTH90a3DoOYpXlhX). **LINK TO PODCAST:** See also:- [ 2024 ](/news-year/2024) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)