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At the U.N. climate summit, a contested deal over money

Brazil environment minister Marina Silva stands near a sign for the United Nations' COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, which came to a close Saturday. Sergei Grits/AP hide caption

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Sergei Grits/AP

Short Wave

At the U.N. climate summit, a contested deal over money

This year's United Nations climate talks, COP29, wrapped Saturday. Throughout the talks, it was all about the numbers. With the help of NPR climate reporters Julia Simon and Alejandra Borunda, we home in on two. First, $300 billion. That's the amount of money wealthy countries agreed to give developing countries to help them adapt to climate change and reduce pollution. Second, 1.5C. That's a warming limit countries agreed to try not to breach, but that is creeping closer every year.

At the U.N. climate summit, a contested deal over money

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Do polluters pay, or do they get paid?

Activists demonstrate for the Loss and Damage Fund, which provides a flow of money from rich to less rich nations to address the impacts of climate change. Peter Dejong/AP hide caption

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Peter Dejong/AP

The Indicator from Planet Money

Do polluters pay, or do they get paid?

For years, rich nations have sent money to lower-income countries to help deal with the impacts of climate change. But it turns out, these wealthy nations are finding creative ways to funnel some of that financing back into their own economies. Today, we look at how the climate crisis is reviving a debate over how money should flow from rich to less-rich nations.

Do polluters pay, or do they get paid?

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Azerbaijan names a former oil executive to lead 2024 climate talks

Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan ecology and natural resources minister, attends a plenary session at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit on Dec. 11, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Babayev has been named to lead the United Nations' annual climate talks later this year, prompting concern from some climate activists over his former ties to the state oil company in a major oil-producing nation. Rafiq Maqbool/AP hide caption

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Rafiq Maqbool/AP

Climate

Azerbaijan names a former oil executive to lead 2024 climate talks

Mukhtar Babayev, has been named to lead the United Nations' annual climate talks later this year, prompting concern from some climate activists over his former ties to the state oil company.

A record number of fossil fuel representatives are at this year's COP28 climate talks

More than 2,400 fossil fuel representatives and lobbyists have been accredited for the U.N. climate talks in Dubai — a record. Meanwhile, negotiators are wrestling with calls to end all new oil, gas and coal projects to curb climate change. Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images

Climate

A record number of fossil fuel representatives are at this year's COP28 climate talks

With a record number of oil, gas and coal representatives at this year's COP28 climate talks, climate scientists worry industry influence could water down language on fossil fuels.

A record number of fossil fuel representatives are at this year's COP28 climate talks

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