Climate Leaders Face New Challenges at COP29

At the recent COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan, panelists discussed big issues like climate finance and politics. The United Nations conference is crucial for negotiating global climate action. One main worry is the gap in funding needed for climate projects around the world. Another concern is the change in U. S. leadership after the election of Donald Trump. Trump's previous presidency saw the U. S. withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which aims to reduce global emissions. Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson talked about how this shift could affect other countries' climate policies. She said, "If the U. S. steps back, other countries might too. " But she also pointed out that the clean energy sector is strong and unlikely to be stopped. Johnny Ayoub from Oliver Wyman, a consulting firm, and Manoj Kumar Singh from Net Zero Think, also discussed climate finance. They talked about the need for more investment and better ways to make clean technology affordable. In Saudi Arabia, there's a big project called Neom that aims to reduce dependence on oil. Wesam Alghamdi, CEO of Neom Green Hydrogen Company, is proud of this move towards clean energy. The project includes a massive facility to produce hydrogen from renewable energy. Ayoub thinks green hydrogen is one of the most promising clean technologies. But he also said there's still a big gap in global climate funding. Singh called for more pricing on carbon emissions to make clean technology more attractive. He thinks this could help small and mid-sized companies adopt cleaner practices. The panel was part of Newsweek's "Pillars of the Green Transition" events, which aim to spark meaningful discussions about climate action.