I have yet to see a solar panel in the city that hosts Cop29

A protest that will stick out in my memory was a peace protest for Gaza, writes Dr Barry Hayes

It remains to be seen whether the final negotiations this week can produce a convincing outcome and what Cop29’s legacy will be. Photo: AP/Rafiq Maqbool

I have been at Cop29 in Baku since Monday, and as a first-time Cop attendee, the word that best summarises it is “overwhelming”. I have attended international conferences and big outdoor events like the National Ploughing Championships before, but this is something entirely different in scale. 

This sprawling conference covers every aspect of climate change mitigation and adaptation, with attendees from every country and region in the world. Even the Taliban have a presence as the representatives of Afghanistan’s government.