COP29: Promoting Standards’ Crucial Role in Climate Action

By Hélène Bohyn, Policy & Advocacy Manager at Better Cotton

Next week, alongside my colleagues Jannis Bellinghausen and Lars Van Doremalen, I will be part of the Better Cotton delegation attending COP29, the annual UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties.

Each year, COP brings nations together to advance global climate action through international agreements and national plans. COP29, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11-22 November 2024, will focus on defining strategies for climate resilience.

This year, we are proud to announce that Better Cotton will be part of the first-ever Standards Pavilion at COP – a space bringing together sustainability standards organisations from across the world to advance climate action.

Initiated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and supported by organisations including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and ICMM, this platform will allow us to showcase international standards as essential, systemic, scalable solutions for achieving large-scale impactful climate resilience.

Setting standards on sustainable social and environmental farming practices is one of the key ways in which Better Cotton catalyses the cotton farming community to continuously drive positive impact. Standards are more than just guidelines – they drive accountability, build climate resilience and create a unified response to the climate crisis. The pavilion at COP is a key opportunity to promote the integral role of standards in scaling up successful climate action interventions through building partnerships and leading dialogues.

We also see the event as a way to amplify the voices of the 2.13 million Better Cotton Licensed Farmers across the world. Farmer voices and real-world examples of climate adaptation must be central to global climate dialogues. By highlighting the resilience of farming communities, we hope to emphasise the critical need for community-driven solutions to inspire and inform global action.

We will also be showcasing our work to empower farmers with access to financing and data. Unlocking financing mechanisms and innovative partnerships equips farmers to adopt sustainable practices, make informed, impact-driven decisions and reduce emissions – all key to supporting agriculture resilience.

At COP29, we will use our time to promote these messages, both in bilateral meetings and through several events which we will be leading at the Standards Pavilion. We will be convening discussions on human-centred adaptation and mitigation strategies in cotton farming, as well as engaging in debates about the role of natural fibres in the EU’s shift towards a climate-neutral and circular economy.

We will bring together perspectives from a wide range of voluntary sustainability standards, from civil society organisations that we have partnered with across key cotton-growing countries to supply chain actors which have been investing in regenerative agriculture and traceability to track products and bring value to farming communities.

In addition, we will also be present at the Azerbaijan Pavilion, where we will be exploring how sustainable cotton farming in the host country can positively impact both local and global markets. We will be discussing progress, challenges, and opportunities within the sector, focusing on strategies that promote climate resilience and rural development. Finally, in response to an expression of interest in launching a Better Cotton Programme in Azerbaijan, we will also use this opportunity to set out the elements necessary for an enabling environment for the Better Cotton Standard System to be implemented credibly.

As we travel to Baku next week, follow us on LinkedIn or X for our updates from COP29 and more information about the sessions we will be hosting. To learn more about the Standards Pavilion and access live-streamed sessions, click here. Lastly, if you will be in attendance at COP29, please come say hello at the Standards Pavilion – Blue Zone, Area E B15.

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