Inuit Call on States to Accelerate Climate Commitments at COP29 in Baku

12 November 2024–Baku, Azerbaijan— Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) and Inuit leadership are set to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Baku, Azerbaijan this week, bringing forward urgent calls to global leaders to accelerate their climate commitments. With the Arctic warming at nearly four times the global rate, Inuit, as a People of the cryosphere, face severe environmental, cultural, and socio-economic challenges caused by climate change.

At COP29, the ICC will emphasize the critical need for Indigenous-led solutions to climate change and urge states, corporations, and civil society to prioritize Inuit rights, leadership, and Knowledge in climate action. Climate finance will also be a major focus of COP29 and ICC will continue to call for equitable and direct access for all Indigenous Peoples.

On top of plans to closely follow key negotiations and decisions at COP, Inuit youth, leadership and Knowledge Holders from what is now Canada and Greenland will also be using their voice in high level meetings and events. ICC Chair Sara Olsvig will  be participating in a high-level side event co-organized with the Norwegian Chairship of the Arctic Council titled A Message from the Frozen World – the Global Impact of a Changing Cryosphere on November 12^th.

“Inuit are a People of the cryosphere. We are deeply and intrinsically connected with sea ice and the nature of a frozen landscape for traveling, hunting, safely living on our lands and harvesting our marine resources. In recent years, Inuit have increasingly been impacted by the lack of ice, which affects our health, wellbeing and livelihoods, thereby impacting our collective and individual rights,” said ICC Chair Sara Olsvig.

The ICC Chair will also be participating in a high-level event convened by the UN Secretary General on November 13th, highlighting the recommendations of the recently released report of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. ICC Vice-Chair Lisa Koperqualuk will also be attending and will be participating in various events, including at the Canada Pavilion.

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