'We must go forward': Palestinians battling war tackle climate change at Cop29

Climate official says beleaguered territories will play role on global stage despite grinding conflict in homelands

Climate Justice Coalition activists take part in a pro-Palestinian protest at Cop29. Reuters

A senior Palestinian environment chief said the enclave's presence at Cop29 sends a signal to the world over its steadfast commitment to combating climate change, despite the devastating impact of Israel's war on Gaza.

Ahmed Abuthaher, director general for projects and international relations at the country's Environment Quality Authority, said the international community was in Azerbaijan to try to keep the 1.5ºC goal alive but Palestine was doing so while also facing conflict.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Abuthaher said it was difficult to protect the environment in ordinary times so "imagine in terms of a war".

“Our main message for Cop29, for the State of Palestine, is that all the world is looking [at] keeping the 1.5ºC [goal] achievable and attainable,” Mr Abuthaher told The National on the sidelines of the summit in Baku, but "that is not the case" for Palestinian territories which are suffering bombardment.

“There are more than 40,000 killed [and] more than 100,000 injured,” he said, adding that Israel had dropped more than 80,000 tonnes of explosives in Gaza since the war started.

Climate crisis and conflict

A Palestinian delegation is attending the talks this year. Protests highlighting the war have also taken place. There is no Palestinian pavilion in Baku but their presence at the summit sends its own defiant message.

“We have to go forward," said Mr Abuthaher, also his country’s national focal point for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

"Even [with] the hard and very difficult situation in Palestine, we have to comply with our responsibilities towards the multilateral international agreements like climate change.

“Here we are speaking about climate change. We are speaking about human rights. We are speaking about keeping the environment but back home unfortunately the war is there – the genocide and ecocide.”

The war in Gaza has been taking place since October 2023 when Hamas launched attacks on Israel. Since then, Israel has expanded the conflict to Lebanon with the fighting taking a huge toll on civilian life. Israel denies the allegation of genocide, saying it is defending itself after the October 7 attack.

The consequences for the environment have been staggering. A preliminary report from the UN Environment Programme (Unep) in June found the effects on Gaza were “unprecedented”.

The assessment documented how the community has been exposed to rapidly growing soil, water and air pollution and risks of irreversible damage to its natural ecosystems.

“Not only are the people of Gaza dealing with untold suffering from the ongoing war, the significant and growing environmental damage in Gaza risks locking its people into a painful, long recovery,” Inger Andersen, Unep executive director, said at the time.

“Water and sanitation have collapsed. Critical infrastructure continues to be decimated. Coastal areas, soil and ecosystems have been severely impacted. All of this is deeply harming people's health, food security and Gaza's resilience.”

An initial study published on the Social Science Research Network this year said emissions from the first 120 days of the Gaza conflict exceeded the annual emissions of 26 countries and territories. The cost of rebuilding Gaza’s 100,000 damaged buildings would lead to 30 million metric tonnes of harmful, warming gases, it said.

'We're still here, that's our message'

Palestine is part of the UNFCCC convention, signed up the Paris deal, and has even published its own climate plan – known as a nationally determined contribution – but the war has made a tough job even tougher.

“It's very difficult,” said Mr Abuthaher, when asked how he keeps the focus on climate in light of the war. “It is very difficult because … our main goal is to protect the environment. But back home ... to protect for whom? In usual, ordinary situations it is very difficult to protect the environment. Imagine in terms of a war.”

Palestinian territories were already battling the effects of man-made climate change and now face higher temperatures, water scarcity, droughts, energy stresses and rising sea levels.

“So there are several aspects affected by climate change rather than the occupation,” he said. The occupation means it is “more difficult to combat climate change”.

“First we hope that the war stops now,” he said. “After the war, I think it is an opportunity to rebuild Gaza, taking into consideration climate resilience.”

Peace, conflict and recovery is an issue gaining more prominence at Cops. Cop28 in Dubai saw a “declaration on climate, relief, recovery and peace that aimed to drive action around vulnerable countries threatened by fragility and war.

The Cop29 Presidency on Monday also launched the “Baku call on climate action for peace, relief and recovery", in collaboration with Egypt, Italy, Germany, Uganda, the UAE and UK.

It aims to develop a strategy for preventing climate-induced conflicts and bolster climate and conflict vulnerable countries.

Azerbaijan has also appealed for countries to stop fighting during the summit in a "Cop truce", but conflict has continued across the world from Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan.

There are now only days left at Cop29 for countries to agree a deal on one of the hardest topics of all – money.

Mr Abuthaher said there was a chance of agreement but, aside from that, it was simply important for Palestine to be there.

Nisreen Tamimi, chairman of the Environment Quality Authority, will address Cop29 on behalf of Palestine on Wednesday. And it is hoped that a Palestinian pavilion will appear at Cop30 next year in Brazil.

“We are here,” he said. “Even with the hard situation, Palestine is still present in the Cop. This is the main message.”