Mon Nov 11 08:24:37 UTC 2024: ## Climate Jargon: A Guide to Understanding COP29

**Baku, Azerbaijan -** As the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) kicks off in Baku, negotiators from around the world will be grappling with complex climate issues. To better understand the discussions taking place, here’s a glossary of key terms:

* **UNFCCC:** The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a 1992 treaty signed by nearly 200 countries to combat global warming.
* **COP:** The Conference of the Parties, the annual summit of countries that have signed the UNFCCC treaty. COP29 in Baku marks the 29th gathering since the treaty came into effect in 1994.
* **NCQG:** The New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance, a target for annual funding to support developing countries’ climate efforts.
* **NDC:** Nationally Determined Contributions, or country pledges. These are national action plans outlining how countries will reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts.
* **Global Warming:** The gradual increase in the global average temperature.
* **Climate Change:** Encompasses global warming and its consequences, such as extreme weather events.
* **Greenhouse Gases (GHGs):** Gases that trap solar heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming. Methane and carbon dioxide are the most powerful GHGs.
* **Paris Agreement:** A 2015 treaty agreed upon at COP21 in Paris. Countries pledged to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, aiming for 1.5 degrees Celsius.
* **Net Zero:** Achieving a state where emissions released are balanced by removals through technologies, tree planting, or other means.
* **Loss and Damage:** A fund established to assist developing nations facing climate-fueled disasters. The fund will decide on disbursement of $800 million pledged by governments and seek further contributions.
* **Carbon Offset:** A carbon credit that allows a country or company to compensate for their emissions by investing in emission reduction projects elsewhere.
* **Article 6:** A provision in the Paris Agreement related to carbon offsets, focusing on regulating international carbon credit trading.

These terms will be central to discussions at COP29 as countries work toward a common goal of mitigating climate change and building a sustainable future.

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