One of the main goals of this year’s conference is to allocate trillions of dollars to finance the energy transition in low-income, underdeveloped countries. climate change with very little blame.

Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey spent several days in Baku, meeting with delegates from the United States and abroad. Fresh off a 17-hour flight and drinking an iced Coke for caffeine, he spoke to the Globe by phone to share his perspective on how the talks were going.

This talk has been condensed for length and clarity.

Question: You just returned from COP29, where Donald Trump was elected. looks big. How have you responded to people who are concerned about how climate action will proceed in the United States during his presidency?

A: I told them that climate change cannot be solved by one president and climate action cannot be stopped by one president. Trump has been in office for four years, but ours is an intergenerational struggle. Cities, states, companies and individuals across the country will continue this revolution. California One of the 10 largest economies In the world. New York State It is one of the 10 largest economies in the world. If New England were a nation, it would be one of the 20 largest countries in the world. We will continue the revolution, and I tried to convey that message with (Rhode Island Democrats). Senator Sheldon Whitehouse was present at every meeting we had.

Question: This year’s main theme is climate finance; Ensuring that rich nations that are major polluters contribute to a major fund to support the energy transition and climate change adaptation in low-income countries. The amount the United States has donated this year is just a fraction of what is needed. How can U.S. negotiators convince global partners that they plan to provide massive funding when it seems unlikely that the Trump administration or the GOP-led Congress will actually support it?

A: You are right. The concern is that the most vulnerable countries will be left behind. I believe that the Biden administration will do its best defending progress It was done in the last four years. Now is the time to act boldly and quickly.

From my point of view, this should be a very ambitious, new, collective and numerical target for climate finance. Advocates insist that at least one target be identified. 1 trillion dollars a year total funding, public and private. My belief is that this is ultimately what this week must deliver as a promise to these countries.

Q: Reports from the negotiations suggest this may be the first COP not to result in a deal; there is still a deal too far to go and not too much time. How important is it that negotiators fail to reach an agreement?

A: I don’t think they can end this COP without an agreement. They must stay as long as necessary.

We just saw this in the United States. Hurricane Helene And Hurricane Milton It caused $300 billion in damage in two weeks. This corresponds to 35 percent of our country’s defense budget. These poor countries around the world, these vulnerable countries, these countries that have not yet industrialized, have a moral appeal to the rest of the world.

Q: Here’s a bummer. Emissions are increasing. Meanwhile, oil and gas companies are withdrawing their climate commitments and the COP is filled with more fossil fuel lobbyists than ever before. kept in a petrostate It is the third year in a row. Are these climate talks still needed?

A: These are very important because they give damaged countries the opportunity to have a forum where they can talk to the richest and most powerful nations in the world. The rich nations of the planet owe a huge debt to the poorest countries that are now suffering.

They didn’t want to call for a fossil fuel phaseout at the last COP in Dubai, but they knew they couldn’t leave until they accepted that as the ultimate goal. I think the same is true this week.

We have great influence in the World Bank, the IMF, the EXIM bank and all these international institutions, and we must use this influence by the end of this week.

Question: So, has our influence weakened with the re-election of Donald Trump as president?

A: Last year, for the first time in world history, more investment was made in solar energy than in oil. And this won’t go back. As I walked around the COP, I could feel the enthusiasm of this renewable energy revolution. Therefore, Donald Trump may try to slow down America’s contribution to the solution, but there will be a counter movement in our country that we can point to and that the world will see very clearly; From California to Massachusetts, state after state is helping. .

Q: This reflects nicely on my last question. What would you say to your voters in Massachusetts, who care deeply about the climate and are very demoralized after the presidential election?

A: In 2009 only Total 2,000 megawatts Solar energy in our country. There were only 2000 fully electric vehicles in our country. It will happen this year 37,000 megawatts of solar energy was distributed within one year, the other 8,000 megawatts of wind. And electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid the revolution continues. We are no longer talking about thousands, but how many millions of new vehicles will be deployed.

Trump is a threat. He’s a climate denier. He is an embarrassment on the world stage. But we will work with working people across America who want to contribute to this clean energy revolution. We will keep our heads up and get things done. He won’t be able to stop this.

Sabrina Shankman can be reached at [email protected]. follow him @shankman.