Marc Serra Solé, Deputy Climate & Energy Transition Chair, Barcelona Province (ES)

_{The final funding agreement, which was reached at 4am after two days of extension and without consensus of the majority of countries, falls far short of the $5 billion requested by the scientific community and the $1.3 billion demanded by unindustrialised countries. Not operational until 2035, the fund opens the door to private financing mechanisms that stand to deepen debt in unindustrialised countries. Some countries did not do enough to reach a better agreement while the petrostates present staged a complete blockade, managing to ensure that there was no mention of fossil fuels in the final agreement – a feat surely supported by 1,800 fossil fuel lobbyists in attendance.}

_{Nonetheless, the UN's multilateral spaces must be preserved and strengthened. The international community cannot abandon the negotiations. Instead, the negotiations must be organised to ensure that host countries are free from conflicts of interest and are dedicated to the ecological transition, human rights, solidarity with the countries of the Global South. Our sights are set on a more constructive and inclusive process at next’s year’s COP in Brazil. (Photo: Barcelona Provincial Council (DiBa))}

Phillip Engel, Climate Adaptation Manager, City of Hanau (DE)

_{COP coverage tends to be rather negative. And rightly so, of course, because this COP once again failed to achieve a major breakthrough with a few countries truly acting as ‘brakes’. Online accreditation gave us the opportunity to look behind the scenes though, as the side events in particular are not the focus of the media coverage. I find the side events particularly valuable, as they offer the unique opportunity for people from different countries to exchange ideas on a smaller scale. At these events, I noticed a great deal of motivation and the will’to really change something. The hope remains in this knowledge that COP29 will not be as unsuccessful as is currently being reported on many channels. Instead, many people who were able to exchange ideas there will return to their countries with new knowledge and experiences and continue to drive change towards a more socio-ecological world.}

Walter Brunner, Municipal Councillor, St. Veit/Glan (AT)

_{The different approaches to the topic of climate action became very clear - especially from countries whose main source of income is based on fossil fuels. Nevertheless, the event is extremely important and should be continued. The media attention is indispensable for raising awareness and puts the issue at the centre of attention worldwide. I was impressed by how large and comprehensive the climate action community is. In press conferences, it became clear how many open ‘construction sites’ there are and where action needs to be taken across national borders. EVERY measure is important. In any case, I am very motivated to continue the fight; we must not let supposed setbacks and dissenting voices demotivate us. On the contrary: we must present our positions all the more vehemently and implement them in politics. Even if the issue is currently being pushed into the background in many countries, this is all the more reason to continue with personal commitment and the united forces of the community. (photo: Geza Balint)}

Dieter Prosik, Climate Protection Officer, City of Ettlingen (DE)

_{A lot of effort for a meagre result – that summarises the balance sheet of most participants and observers at COP 29. Is that reason enough for resignation? I think not. COP is now much more than a political struggle for binding final documents. For example, education was on the official agenda for the first time. A topic that ranges from awareness-raising and the communication of scientific findings to the opportunities for real climate action. And where is much of this is happening? Not so much at an international or national level, but rather at a local level in many small places where many individual people are doing their best to impart sustainability content in their educational endeavours. To paraphrase the well-known African proverb, perhaps it is still possible to change the world after all.}

Christian Tögel, Head of Regional and Municipal Climate Protection, NRW.Energy4Climate

_{For the first time, we were able to take part in the numerous online sessions on the UN Climate Change Conference. It was particularly exciting to see how other nations are looking at the issues of climate protection, climate change and climate adaptation, taking part in them and working together to find solutions. The ideas and discussions of the panellists were both an inspiration and a motivation for us and for our work at the regional and municipal levels in North Rhine-Westphalia.(Photo: NRW.Energy4Climate)}