Ice & Water@COP29: We were at COP29 with a mission to push the critical but overlooked cryosphere conversation as fast melting ice impacts our freshwater resources and accelerates rising seas. So this month it’s all about ice & water and how they featured at COP29. Plus, we take a look at where China is on its dual carbon targets, especially now with the upcoming Trump presidency.

We heard firsthand from Ambition on Melting Ice Chief Science Advisor & Coordinator at COP29 on the ICCI’s latest report “State of the Cryosphere Report 2024 – Lost Ice, Global Damage”. Dr. James Kirkham, the editor for the chapter on ice sheets & sea level rise, walks us through very sobering stats…

Sea level rise has doubled in the last 30 years and could reach 6.5mm/year by 2050. This may not sound like a lot but nature-based solutions (like mangroves) will not work above 7mm/year as seas will be rising faster than the natural rate of growth. Clearly, we need to rethink adaptation solutions & investments if we are unable to decarbonise BIG & fast enough to slow down fast rising seas.

Cryosphere losses (glacier & snow) also have implications for our freshwater resources – under current climate policies up to 75% of Himalayas’ ice could be lost by 2100, said Dr. Kirkham. But remember, current policies are not the same as current emissions (which are worse) and as these are Asia’s Water Towers – they provide water to 1 in 2 Asians – we’d better start paying attention! See more in our interview.

Ice matters though it may not feel like it sitting in a place like Hong Kong. We need to bring the risks home – make them feel real. This was why we were at COP – to bridge the conversation between science, business & finance. Despite the uptick of cryosphere conversations at COP29, we found that disconnect between business-finance-policymakers-ice scientists still exists. Much more still needs to be done. Dr Kirkham agrees. He noted that sea level rise (a cryosphere related impact) added US$8bn to the damage bill of Hurricane Sandy.

Feng Hu concurs. The Founder & Director of silkroad.earth & CWR advisor saw ice & water everywhere at this COP. Hu is of the view that water is being increasingly recognised for its role in broadening and connecting climate conversations, albeit it slowly. This is still encouraging to hear as it was previously missing.

So, what exactly was discussed on water at Baku?  Hu also shares 5 key takeaways that cover how water unites climate negotiations, the newly launched “Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action”, calls to appoint a “Water for Climate Ambassador” and more so be sure to check them out!

Prioritising water in a changing climate is no longer a luxury but a must do. Global water gurus Asit Biswas & Cecilia Tortajada point out if one picks up a newspaper on any day in any Asian city, there is likely to be at least one report on water-related issues. Global heating is going to make it even worse, so water needs to gain even more prominence at global events.

Can water security in Asia be secured? The good news is that Biswas & Tortajada conclude that Asia’s freshwater problems are solvable provided that two important conditions are fulfilled. Plus, get on top of the key issues with water solutions being implemented by many institutions.

Also, the global water gurus believe that China’s water journey can be used by the global South to leapfrog ahead. Developments in China since 2000 have radically improved its water management practices. Indeed, we were impressed with China’s showcase of climate solutions at COP29. But there was little media coverage – China’s efforts to clean up industrial pollution & its innovations in low-carbon development should be amplified.

As the largest global emitter, China’s role in global climate action is pivotal. Here, Hongqiao Liu, award winning journalist & former CWR team member says, if the coal-dependent economic “supertanker” can change course, it could unlock transformative progress. So where is China in meeting its dual carbon targets – the first of which is due in 2030? Liu provides an update.

According to Liu, now is the chance for China to step up to meet the global climate challenge, especially with rising uncertainties from the US. Can China replicate the momentum it had in renewable energy for other clean energy solutions?  Where is it on hydrogen & energy storage? How much “housekeeping” does China have to do?

No doubt COP29 was frustrating. Dubbed as the “Finance COP”, developed countries finally agreed to put on the table US$300bn per year by 2035. Although this is much more than the previous pledge of US$100bn, it is very very far from the annual target of US$1.3trn of the developing countries. Obviously, the Global South was not happy.

The pressure to fast track fossil fuel transition also took a back seat at this “oil COP”. With less money and less urgency to decarbonise, water and ice risks will only rise. A cryosphere crisis is looming. As it is, some tipping points are already breached … it’s imperative that we do not trigger more.

If we don’t see/understand these “ice risks” we won’t act to slow them down. So inspired by those we met at COP, CWR will unpack these ice risks and what they mean for water & energy security in 2025, the first-ever International Year of Glacier Preservation. So watch this space!