When Azerbaijan was chosen to host COP29, few expected Baku to leave a lasting mark on global climate politics. Critics called it a “temporary stop” before the real decisions in Brazil. Yet a year later, the conversation has shifted. COP29 in Baku not only delivered concrete outcomes, from launching the Loss and Damage Fund to shaping a global finance roadmap, but also elevated Azerbaijan’s credibility as a climate leader.
Now, as COP30 opens in Belém, the contrast could not be clearer: where Baku offered structure, ambition, and progress, Belém faces the challenge of living up to that legacy.