BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) 鈥� Hundreds of activists formed a human chain outside one of the main plenary halls at the United Nations climate summit on what is traditionally their biggest protest day during the two-week talks.
The demonstration in Baku, Azerbaijan was echoed at sites around the world in a global 鈥渄ay of action鈥� for climate justice that's become an annual event.
Activists waved flags, snapped their fingers, and hummed and mumbled chants in a silent protest, with many covering their mouths with the word 鈥淪ilenced.鈥�
Demonstrators held up signs calling for more money to be pledged for climate finance, which involves cash for transitioning to clean energy and adapting to climate change. It comes as negotiators at the venue try to hammer out a deal for exactly that 鈥� but progress has been slow and observers say the direction of any agreement is still unclear.
Tired but inspired, activists vow to 鈥榢eep fighting鈥�
Lidy Nacpil said protestors like her are 鈥渘ot surprised鈥� about how negotiations are going. But past wins 鈥� like a that gives developing nations cash after extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change 鈥� keep organizers going, said Nacpil, a coordinator with the Asian Peoples鈥� Movement on Debt and Development.
鈥淭he role we play is to increase the pressure,鈥� she said of the action. 鈥淲e know we鈥檙e not going to get the results that the world needs in this round of negotiations, but at least to bring us many steps closer is our hope, is our aim.鈥�
She added: 鈥淚 think we have no option but to keep fighting ... It鈥檚 the instinctive response that anyone, any living being, living creatures will have, which is to fight for life and fight for survival.鈥�
Tasneem Essop said she was inspired by the action, which was challenging to organize. 鈥淭o be able to pull off something where people feel their own power, exercise their own power and get inspired in this creative way, I鈥檓 super excited about this,鈥� she said.
Essop says she鈥檚 鈥渘ot very鈥� optimistic about an outcome on finance, but knows next week will be pivotal. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 end up with a bad deal for the peoples of the world, those who are already suffering the impacts of climate change, those who need to adapt to an increasing and escalating crisis,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e fight until the end.鈥�
Activists in Baku were joined by protests big and small around the world.
In London, hundreds of protesters marched from the British Museum to the offices of Socar, the Azerbaijan-owned oil company, before heading to the residence and office of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Demonstrators with hands painted red chanted, 鈥淐op29 stop the lies, greenwashing genocide鈥� and 鈥渒eep it in the ground.鈥�
On a deal for climate cash, there's not much progress
Negotiators at COP29, as the talks are known, are working on a deal that might be worth to poorer nations. Many are in the the costly impacts of . Several experts have said $1 trillion a year or more is needed both to compensate for such damages and to pay for a clean-energy transition that most countries can't afford on their own.
Samir Bejanov, deputy lead negotiator of this year's climate talks said in a press conference that the climate finance talks were moving too slowly.
鈥淚 want to repeat our strong encouragement to all parties to make as much progress as possible,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need everyone to approach the task with urgency and determination.鈥�
Diego Pacheco, a negotiator from Bolivia, said that the amount of money on the table for developing countries needs to be 鈥渓oud and clear.鈥�
鈥淣o more speeches but real money,鈥� he said.
Observers were also disappointed at the pace of progress.
鈥淭his has been the worst first week of a COP in my 15 years of attending this summit,鈥� said Mohamed Adow, of climate think tank Power Shift Africa. "There鈥檚 no clarity on the climate finance goal, the quality of the finance or how it鈥檚 going to be made accessible to vulnerable countries.鈥�
鈥淚 sense a lot of frustration, especially among the developing country blocks here,鈥� he said.
Panama environment minister Juan Carlos Navarro agreed, telling The Associated Press he is 鈥渘ot encouraged鈥� by what he鈥檚 seeing at COP29 so far.
鈥淲hat I see is a lot of talk and very little action,鈥� he said, noting that Panama is among the group of countries least responsible for warming emissions but most vulnerable to the damage caused by climate change-fueled disasters.
鈥淲e must face these challenges with a true sense of urgency and sincerity,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are dragging our feet as a planet.鈥�
___
Associated Press writers Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles and Brian Melley in London contributed.
___
The Associated Press鈥� climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP鈥檚 for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Melina Walling, Sibi Arasu And Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press
