Mon Nov 11 19:05:37 UTC 2024: ## US Climate Envoy Podesta Assures Continued Action Despite Trump’s Stance, Nations Agree on Carbon Market Rules, Taliban Attends Climate Summit

**Baku, Azerbaijan** – US climate envoy John Podesta has sought to reassure the international community that the United States will continue its efforts to combat climate change, even under the leadership of President-elect Donald Trump.

Speaking at the first day of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Podesta acknowledged Trump’s skepticism toward climate action and his campaign promises to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and roll back clean energy subsidies. However, Podesta emphasized that the momentum towards a cleaner energy economy is irreversible. He pointed to the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark climate legislation passed by the outgoing Biden administration, which will continue to drive investments in renewable energy technologies.

“The direction is clear,” Podesta said, “This fight is bigger than one election, one political cycle in one country.”

In a significant development, nations at COP29 agreed on new UN standards for international carbon markets, paving the way for countries to trade credits towards their climate goals. This agreement, reached after nearly a decade of negotiations, establishes key ground rules for a market that will allow countries to offset emissions by purchasing credits from nations that have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions.

“It’s hugely significant,” Erika Lennon, from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), told AFP.

In a notable first, a delegation from Afghanistan, led by the head of the National Environmental Protection Agency, Matiul Haq Khalis, attended the summit. Khalis emphasized the country’s vulnerability to climate change and called for international cooperation in tackling the issue. Afghanistan, he said, has developed national action plans and is prepared to update its climate goals in the coming months.

The UN climate summit, which continues for the next two weeks, is expected to focus on climate finance for developing countries and strategies for transitioning away from fossil fuels.

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