Getting Your Communications COP29-Ready: A Guide to Engaging with the 2024 Conference for the Renewable Energy Sector
The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), a pivotal event under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will bring together world leaders, climate experts, and activists from November 11th to 22nd. The goal? To address the planet’s most urgent environmental challenges.
With a focus on strengthening international collaboration, enhancing climate commitments, and implementing solutions to limit global warming to 1.5°C, COP29 hopes to build on the momentum of previous conferences.
First things first: as a renewable energy business or organisation related to the sector, we believe your communications should be part of the conversation. Ignoring this event at a pivotal moment in the climate emergency is not an option in our view.
Strategic, timely communication aligned with COP29's key themes can position your company as a thought leader in the renewables space and, crucially, amplify the importance of climate action.
But how can your renewable energy business engage with conversations on this global stage and make these high-level discussions resonate with your audience?
In the lead-up to the conference, we want to use our understanding and expertise to give you practical advice to bring your communications into the conversation and get your messaging COP-ready.
Read on for key agenda items, this COP’s context, and communication suggestions you can action today.
COP29: What’s The Agenda?
As delegates, NGOs and activists head to Azerbaijan in November, what will be the key talking points?
The focus for this COP is likely to be three core areas: financing climate change support, the energy transition away from fossil fuels and new emission pledges.
Here’s a brief rundown of these central agenda items and what we expect talks to hone in on.
1. New Climate Finance Goal
Money, as ever, matters.
In 2009, wealthy nations promised $100 billion annually by 2020 to help developing countries tackle climate change, but the goal was only reached (or not) in 2022. Now COP29 is focused on setting a new, larger financial target for 2025, possibly around $1 trillion.
Key financial discussion points on the table include:
- Reform of major financial institutions like the World Bank.
- Push for private sector investment.
- Debate on global taxes to fund climate actions (e.g., on fossil fuels, billionaires).
- Calls for innovation in financing such as the Bridgetown Initiative, driven by Barbados PM, Mia Mottley.
2. The Green Energy Transition
COP28 formally acknowledged the need to end fossil fuels, but little action has followed. Progress is being hampered as countries like Saudi Arabia, China, and Egypt have slowed discussions. Azerbaijan, as COP29 host, hasn’t seemingly prioritised this issue and, without further commitment, COP29 might be seen as a setback in the fight against fossil fuels.
As a new report in the journal of Bioscience revealed this month, concentrations of CO2 and methane in the atmosphere are at record levels - yet only 6% of hundreds of senior climate experts surveyed, believed the international agreed limit of 1.5C would be adhered to.
The continued domination of coal, oil and gas must be addressed at this COP. As Dr Christoper Wolf, who co-led the report’s team said there was, “stiff resistance from those benefiting financially from the current fossil-fuel based system”.
Without accountability on this point, COP29 risks losing legitimacy.
3. New Pledges (NDCs)
By COP30 countries must submit new emission-cutting pledges: Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs.
At COP29 the past, present and future COP hosts - UAE, Azerbaijan, and Brazil - are expected to present stronger NDCs. Other major emitters (US, EU, China) are encouraged to follow suit. The UK, under its new government, may also step up its climate leadership.
The themes and agenda items might impact how organisations engage with developments over the session, but the conference does not happen in a vacuum. Let’s look at the context of this COP and what it might mean for the outcome.
COP29: Context Counts
Taking place at the end of a year defined by unrest and of record-breaking climate impacts, it’s fair to say that the events of 2024 will likely intensify the urgency of the talks at the upcoming COP.
Let’s take a look at what might influence the direction of the conference.
UK Leadership Revival
Led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the UK is aiming for greater climate ambition after previous backpedalling. The government is expected to present a higher climate pledge (NDC) - with Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband having already sought formal advice from the Climate Change Committee on what the UK’s NDC should look like - and offer increased climate finance.
Civil Society and Human Rights
It can’t be ignored that COP29 will be held in Azerbaijan, a country with limited freedoms for civil society and opposition, and could potentially mirror previous COPs hosted by authoritarian regimes, where protests were restricted, NGOs’ influence limited and climate activists prohibited from attending. All of which stymies true debate and the trust in transparency.
US Election
The timing of this COP is significant. If Donald Trump is re-elected in the US election on November 5th, just days before COP29, his stance on climate change could hinder progress at the summit. A Kamala Harris victory, on the other hand, could boost global climate efforts.
Progress at COP29 has the power to influence all of us associated with the renewable energy sector and the energy transition: we believe we should engage with the event, yet we appreciate it is sometimes challenging to see how your business relates to conversations on this global stage.
Let’s move into how you can find ways to connect your business to COP29.
Getting Your Communications COP29-Ready: Aligning with Themes and Tailoring Messaging
As we gear up for COP29, aligning your renewable energy service or solution’s communications with the event’s central themes is crucial.
Your first task is to ensure your comms fits within the broader COP29 conversations by connecting your messaging to one or more of the core topics on the table - as relevant to your business:
- Energy Transition: Is your solution accelerating the shift to renewables and reducing reliance on fossil fuels?
- Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Can you demonstrate how your products or services support countries in meeting their climate pledges?
- Financing Climate Action: Do you have a role in funding or facilitating renewable energy projects, especially in developing regions?
- Climate Adaptation and Resilience: Can you share how your innovations help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change, increasing resilience?
And, although COP29 draws diverse stakeholders - policy makers, businesses, media, activists - remember that your communications are still for your audience.
They’re interested in hearing authentic voices within the renewable energy conversation - so stay true to your brand's tone of voice and values, even as you engage with these high-level themes.
One of the simplest ways to be a part of the debate is, of course, on social media.
Getting Your Communications COP29-Ready: Social Media and Showcasing Tangible Impact
You are already likely using LinkedIn or other social media platforms in your marketing efforts.
COP29 will dominate online discussions and you can readily join the conversation on socials with simple tactics such as:
- Using popular hashtags like #COP29, #ClimateAction, and #EnergyTransition.
- Sharing live updates on your company’s take on key moments.
- Resharing or liking relevant posts from attendees or media outlets to showcase your engagement.
Add richness to the content you create with data-driven stories from your organisation - as these tend to resonate more with audiences and help stop the scroll.
Possible measurable outcomes you could prepare in advance to highlight during the buzz of the conference itself include:
- The number of homes your renewable energy projects power.
- The reduction in carbon emissions achieved through your innovations.
- Your company’s / sector’s growth since the last COP.
COP29 is not a marketing opportunity per se - it’s a chance for all companies to amplify the imperative and potential for action on climate change with audiences old and new.
As COP29 sparks global communications, strategic social comms planned ahead of time alongside reactive engagement during the conference is the most effective mix to be heard amongst the noise.
You can take things further by working with others to amplify your message.
Getting Your Communications COP29-Ready: Collaboration and Amplification
COP29 offers a unique opportunity for your business to forge new partnerships and explore fresh ways to amplify how your solutions contribute to accelerating the energy transition.
Here are a few strategies:
Position Leadership: Share thought leadership by publishing opinion pieces or speaking at COP29-related events. Offer your insights on the future of clean energy and your company’s role in driving the transition.
Leverage PR: As a renewable energy leader, your perspective matters. Use media outreach to communicate what outcomes your company is hoping for from COP29, whether through industry-specific publications or national platforms.
Host Webinars or Panel Discussions: Organise virtual events focused on key COP29 themes, positioning your company as an expert. Partner with industry peers or partners to deliver valuable insights to your mutual networks.
Internal and Stakeholder Engagement: Share your COP29 insights and actions internally through newsletters and encourage employees to amplify the company’s message on social media. Provide stakeholders and partners with branded materials they can share to spread the word during COP29.
Just as global collaboration is essential to meeting the goals of COP29, it could be mirrored in how we approach communications about the conference and its outcomes.
Engagement is Everything
“We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster. This is a global emergency beyond any doubt. Much of the very fabric of life on Earth is imperiled.” (Ripple et al. 2024)
Last year saw unprecedented climate extremes, including record-breaking sea surface temperatures, the hottest Northern Hemisphere extratropical summer in two millennia, and numerous other shattered climate records.
But..
The scale of the challenge should not challenge faith in our capacity to rebalance the scales.
…if we act now.
COP29 at the very least creates possibilities - for new, collaborative events and actions, and the opportunity to draw as many people as possible into the renewable energy conversation.
Communication is one small part of how we can contribute to meaningful climate action, and bring our planet back from the brink.
If we can help you with any aspect of your renewable energy business’s communications, reach out: andy@wearewildtribe.com
