COP29 Stalled—Here’s Where Real Climate Action Took Off

While global leaders stalled at COP29 in Azerbaijan, Greg Nemet, a member of the POW Science Alliance and professor of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, found inspiration in the innovators driving real-world solutions. We sat down with Nemet to reflect on his experience at COP, discuss his recent work, and explore what could have been done better in the quest for meaningful climate action.

Here are the top takeaways:

Funding from developed nations to support developing countries is vital, yet still falls far short of what’s needed.

At COP29, a major focus was on increasing financial aid for clean energy transitions and climate adaptation in developing nations, with an ambitious goal of scaling contributions to $1.3 trillion annually.

Nemet highlighted the history of this commitment, recalling the 2009 agreement where wealthy countries pledged $100 billion per year to aid developing nations. Unfortunately, actual contributions have consistently fallen short, reaching only about one-third of the promised amount annually.

“We need to boost that number by a factor of 10 which would be a trillion dollars a year. A trillion dollars sounds like a lot of money, but to put in perspective, that’s only about half as much as the world invests in clean energy a year now,” said Nemet. “We’re already doing $2 trillion a year for electric vehicles and solar and other clean energy, so it’s really not an obscene number.”

Yet, COP29’s results missed the mark. Instead of achieving the $1.3 trillion goal, commitments were raised to just $300 billion—leaving a significant gap in the resources needed to empower developing nations in the fight against climate change.

In a space where bureaucratic decisions are slow, “side events” is where real progress is happening.

While formal COP negotiations are essential, their pace can be glacial. Meanwhile, the true engine of change lies in “side events”—dynamic spaces where cities, companies, and individuals showcase successes, spark ideas, and drive action.

“The negotiations at COP seem to be bogged down and are happening slowly. Things are moving a lot faster outside of negotiations,” said Nemet. “These are where cities and companies showcase their climate solutions, offering a blueprint for others to follow. That’s where the real momentum is.”

Social Innovation is Key.

Beyond renewable energy technology, Nemet’s presentation at COP29 highlighted the importance of social change in reducing energy consumption. This includes shifts towards active transportation (walking, biking) and decreased car dependency.

“My work is about finding ways to boost clean energy while reducing the amount of energy that we need and use. You can have really high levels of well-being and have much lower levels of material and energy consumption,” said Nemet.

Drawing a parallel to the dramatic decline in smoking rates across the U.S. and Europe over the last 30 years, Nemet pointed to this as a model for how rapidly societal behaviors can shift. “It’s an example of how quickly we might achieve similar changes to reduce energy demand,” he noted. “For instance, in many countries, fewer young people are getting driver’s licenses. We’re seeing a move towards walking, biking, and other forms of active transportation, and we’re studying how fast these shifts can happen.”

Nemet posed an intriguing question: Can social innovations—like lifestyle and behavioral shifts—outpace technological advancements in clean energy hardware like Electric Vehicles (EVs) and wind turbines? “It’s an open question, but there’s growing interest in these social and behavioral business models, and institutional changes that often go faster than hard technologies like EVs and heat pumps,” he said. “Changing how people think and act is not only possible but there is evidence showing that it’s already happening, which I find encouraging.”

Optimism Amid Challenges: The Clean Energy Transition Presses Forward.

Despite potential slowdowns in U.S. climate policy, global momentum and grassroots efforts remain powerful drivers of the clean energy transition. The shift to cleaner energy sources is unstoppable—but to meet climate goals, it must accelerate.

While policies like the Inflation Reduction Act are paving the way, uncertainty looms in the wake of the U.S. presidential election. “It feels like the election is going to slow down the transition to clean energy rather than speed it up,” said Nemet. “I believe the transition is inevitable, so I’m not worried about it stopping, but I do worry about it slowing down.”

Yet, Nemet emphasizes that progress isn’t confined to federal actions. “The election won’t stop the people working in cities, companies, advocacy, and local governments that are driving this work forward. They’re really committed, and their efforts aren’t stopping because it feels like the U.S. is taking its eye off the ball for a while.”

Encouragingly, today’s clean energy movement is far stronger than it was a decade ago. “We’ve gained a lot of momentum—the costs are lower, the technology is proven, and adoption is widespread,” Nemet added. “More people are engaged than ever before, and that keeps me optimistic.”

Author: Stacie Sullivan

Stacie always knew she wanted to pursue a career in the ski industry from a young age, having first clicked into skis at the age of 4 and writing her 8th grade career project on being a professional skier. While her dreams of becoming a professional athlete didn’t quite pan out the way she planned at […]