As the world looks at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, we stand at a critical juncture in the fight against climate catastrophe. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has warned that humanity is nearing irreversible climate tipping points, such as the collapse of the Amazon rainforest or Greenland’s ice sheet. His words come as the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reports this year is on track to be the hottest on record, likely marking the first time that average global temperatures have exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Experts warn we are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, driven by human activities like unsustainable land use and climate change. Unlike past natural events, this crisis is of our own making, with climate disruption accelerating species loss and worsening biodiversity‘s vital role in climate regulation. Despite the urgent threat, the recent COP16 biodiversity summit failed to deliver concrete solutions, heightening the risk of irreversible damage and societal collapse. This devastating evidence reveals a system that treats nature as a resource to be exploited at any cost. For too long, capitalist interests have prioritized short-term profits over long-term well-being, fuelling climate chaos and deepening inequalities worldwide. At COP29, The Left in the European Parliament will stand in solidarity with communities most affected by the climate crisis, calling for urgent, transformative action rooted in justice and systemic change. Half-measures and vague pledges are no longer acceptable.

Challenging the Capitalist Model: A Demand for Real Climate Finance

We need radical solutions that address the capitalist model that has driven us to this breaking point. One critical area is climate finance, where the needs of developing countries are met with token support and loan-based funding that perpetuates debt cycles rather than providing true relief. At COP29, we demand a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance that delivers trillions in non-debt-inducing grants, not loans, to enable developing countries to implement climate resilience and adaptation measures. These funds are essential if we are to honour our commitments under the Paris Agreement. Additionally, the fossil fuel industry must be held accountable. For too long, fossil fuel giants have used their influence to shape climate policy in their favour while continuing to pollute with impunity. They have found willing accomplices in centrist and right-wing politicians. We call for an international Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to halt new investments in fossil fuels and guide a rapid and just transition toward renewable energy, prioritizing the needs of communities over corporate profits.

The EU’s Failures: Complicity with Corporate Interests

The European Union, which claims to be a global leader on climate, has consistently failed to live up to this image. Despite its climate rhetoric, EU leadership has repeatedly succumbed to corporate interests, prioritizing profit over urgent action. Wopke Hoekstra’s recent appointment as EU Climate Commissioner epitomizes this hypocrisy. A former McKinsey consultant with deep ties to corporate circles—including fossil fuel giants who continue to profit from climate destruction—Hoekstra’s background raises pressing questions about his capacity to advocate for the public good over entrenched corporate power. This conflict of interest undermines the EU’s climate ambitions.

Similarly, the European People’s Party (EPP) has pushed to delay the EU’s essential deforestation regulation, a move that endangers vital ecosystems and exposes the EU’s willingness to cater to corporate lobbies at the expense of environmental integrity. As wildfires and floods devastate communities worldwide, the EPP’s loyalty to industrial interests that drive deforestation reflects how deeply corporate influence has infiltrated EU politics. For The Left, protecting forests is non-negotiable. Forests are not only havens of biodiversity but are also critical carbon sinks. Any delay in deforestation action is a direct threat to our collective future.

Trade Deals That Undermine Climate Action: The Mercosur Agreement

The EU’s failure to take bold, urgent climate action is perhaps most glaring in its push for the Mercosur free trade agreement. While the world grapples with the catastrophic impacts of climate change, the EU continues to pursue trade deals that devastate the environment and deepen inequality. The Mercosur agreement would open European markets to products like beef and soy linked to Amazonian deforestation, accelerating the destruction of one of the world’s most crucial carbon sinks. This is not merely a trade deal; it is a license for environmental destruction and exploitation, dismissing the rights and survival of Indigenous communities who have protected these lands for generations. The Left demands trade justice that aligns with climate goals, enforcing protections for human rights and the environment. Our future is not for sale to the highest bidder. Trade agreements must reflect a commitment to sustainability, equity, and justice.

Building a Just Future: The Left’s Vision for COP29 and Beyond

As we approach COP29, The Left in the European Parliament is clear: climate justice cannot be achieved within the current exploitative system. We need to dismantle the structures that have caused this devastation and prioritize policies that serve the public good, environmental health, and social justice. At COP29, we will advocate for a climate finance framework that meets the severity of the crisis, with grants that empower developing nations without trapping them in debt. We will push for a bold, binding commitment to phase out fossil fuels, block loopholes, and hold polluters accountable for the harm they have inflicted on the planet. Our forests cannot wait, nor can the biodiversity they sustain, and we demand immediate, binding action on deforestation to protect these ecosystems for future generations.

Furthermore, we demand a complete overhaul of trade policies that exploit both people and nature. Trade should serve people, not profits, and every agreement must prioritize environmental and social responsibility. COP29 represents a turning point. Leaders in Baku can either continue on the path of profit-driven inaction or commit to a transformative vision of climate justice and social equity. The Left in the European Parliament chooses the latter, and we will hold leaders accountable for any failure to act.

Now is the time to break the grip of fossil fuel interests and profit-driven agendas, building a future based on justice, solidarity, and sustainability for all.