Next week, I'll be traveling to Baku, Azerbaijan, for COP29, the United Nations’ annual climate conference.  

As global leaders convene, recent U.N. reports have underscored the sobering gap between countries’ current climate commitments and what is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. 

It’s easy to see this bad news as a sign of defeat. But as I pack my bags for Baku, I’m struck by the opportunities we have ahead.   

Actions taken in the next five years will be pivotal if we are to head off the worst impacts of a warming world. COP29 is a springboard into a milestone year for climate action in 2025, as nations unveil updated and stronger national climate plans in the lead-up to COP30 in Brazil. 

At the same time, we have ready-made commitments that can make a difference to how quickly our planet warms in the near term. 

In Baku, my team and I will be pushing for progress in four key areas:  

Slashing methane emissions 

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the short term. Cutting methane emissions is one of the fastest ways to slow climate change. Last year, at COP28 in Dubai, 54 oil and gas companies made a bold commitment that could see their methane emissions cut 15% by 2030. This year we need to see promises become action. 

• Methane takes center stage at COP28 

Environmental Defense Fund recently teamed up with the International Energy Agency and the U.N. Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory to track their progress. And EDF’s groundbreaking satellite, MethaneSAT, launched earlier this year, will help hold companies accountable with precise data and unprecedented transparency. 

But we can’t stop there: Next year, ahead of COP30 in Brazil, countries will be unveiling their updated national plans to achieve the climate emission reductions the world needs. At COP29, EDF will be advocating for these plans to include ambitious goals that slash methane emissions, support the transition away from fossil fuels, and ensure a just energy future for all. 

Transforming food systems 

Food and agriculture are responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. One of our greatest challenges is reducing those emissions while feeding a growing global population.  

EDF science has shown that farmers can reduce methane emissions from cows through dietary changes and better manure management, without impacting livestock health. At COP29 we will be calling on companies to adopt these solutions and for countries to include them in their updated national climate plans. 

• Searching for a seaweed to combat cow burps

Protecting nature to protect the climate 

Forests are not only crucial in capturing and storing carbon; they are also lifelines for local communities and essential to protecting the world’s biodiversity. 

• Nature is our best defense against climate change

At COP29, EDF is advocating alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities for funding that empowers them to take the lead in conserving forests. We are also urging countries to include forest protection in their national climate plans to both safeguard biodiversity and prevent the vast amounts of carbon released when forests are burned or destroyed.  

Mobilizing climate finance 

Too often, developing countries are unable to get the funds they need for climate action. At COP29, negotiators will be seeking to establish a New Collective Quantified Goal — the amount of money the world needs to mobilize to fight climate change.  

This new goal is essential: As countries update their national climate plans, developing countries need to be confident they will have the resources they need to update their climate plans to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts they’re already facing. 

• Why fighting climate change costs less than doing nothing 

EDF will also watch closely as countries discuss rules for carbon markets and international cooperation, known as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, to make sure we can mobilize private sector finance to drive climate action further and faster.  

The road to COP30

COP29 is a critical step, but it is also about setting the stage for stronger climate commitments at COP30 in Brazil. Next year, countries will update their national climate plans, focusing on actions that deliver immediate results to tackle multiple challenges at once, like cutting methane emissions to slow warming and protecting tropical forests as vital carbon sinks. 

COP29 is our chance to ensure countries prioritize these “quick wins” and align on solutions that benefit both people and the planet. The path to real climate progress starts here — with the decisions made in Baku. Let’s make them count. 

Angela Churie Kallhauge is the Executive Vice President for Impact at Environmental Defense Fund.