South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dr Dion George, and his counterpart from Norway, Minister of Climate and Environment, Mr. Tore Onshuus Sandvik, have been appointed Ministerial Pair by COP29 President-designate and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mukhtar Babayev, to steer informal consultations on mitigation before and during COP29.

Minister George is honoured to accept this important and challenging assignment from the President-designate for COP29. “The designation of South Africa as a ministerial co-facilitator recognizes the country’s long-standing leadership role at the international multi-lateral climate negotiations in ensuring the voices of developing countries are well reflected in the multilateral deliberations, and our national level leadership to implement Just Transitions,” said Minister Dr Dion George. 

In their consultations, Ministers George and Sandvik will be engaging with Parties and all negotiating groups to conduct informal consultations on concrete issues related to the content on mitigation and linkages to the process at large. It is anticipated that the Ministerial Pair’s consultations will foster a comprehensive understanding among Ministers and their delegations regarding the priorities, perspectives, and areas in need of political guidance in the lead up to and during COP29. “This is the challenge of our time, and I am honoured to continue South Africa’s leadership,” said Minister Dr Dion George.

This appointment comes as Minister George prepares to participate in this year’s Pre-COP event taking place from 10-11 October 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Pre-COP29 brings together ministers to discuss the key political aspects of the negotiations, find solutions to outstanding issues, and set the tone for the upcoming COP29.

Minister Babayev will open Pre-COP proceedings on Thursday, 10 October 2024, alongside COP28 President and United Arab Emirates Special Envoy for Climate Change, Dr Sultan A. Al Jaber, amongst others. The opening will be followed by a Plenary discussion on the Road to COP29 and various Climate Change Labs. The second day of Pre-COP will consist of Plenary discussions on ‘Unlocking the potential of Article 6’ and ‘Taking forward the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake (GST), before proceedings are concluded.

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