Susan Ann Samuel

Job title:

PhD Researcher

Area of work:

Climate Negotiations, Climate Politics, Climate Law, International Human Rights Law, and Sustainable Development Law

What are the big issues that COP29 needs to address? What are your hopes for the negotiations?

COP29’s primary focus is on climate finance—specifically the discussions around the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG).

Personally, in addition to observing NCQG, I am particularly interested in how the negotiations will address issues related to youth and children, health, gender, human rights, and technology. These themes (and more) intersect in unique ways, and exploring the subtle interlinkages between them within the broader climate political-legal arena through Article 4(3) of the Paris Agreement has caught my interest, lately.

Art. 4(3) of Paris Agreement – “Each Party’s successive nationally determined contribution will represent a progression beyond the Party’s then current nationally determined contribution and reflect its highest possible ambition, reflecting its common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances.” [There’s so much to learn from these words!]

My hopes for COP29 is to strengthen the solidarity of nations—for the people and planet—without which, negotiations won’t move forward, and ambition stays void.

What’s your message for world leaders at COP29?

Future is all about the trust we build today: money matters!