Climate Justice on the Line as SB62 Opens in Bonn: Global South Eyes Accountability After COP29 Finance Failure
Bonn, Germany – June 17, 2025 – The 62nd meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) commenced on Tuesday in Bonn, marking the first major climate negotiations since the deeply controversial COP29 held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The Bonn talks open under a cloud of discontent, following the failure of COP29 to secure new climate finance commitments and the adoption of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) under questionable procedures.
Nearly a quarter of Parties to the Paris Agreement either rejected or reserved their positions on the NCQG before it was pushed through by Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency, reportedly with backing from the UNFCCC Executive Secretary.
Alongside the adoption of Article 6 carbon market standards—done without customary approval from the Parties—the outcomes of Baku have raised serious concerns about transparency, legitimacy, and the erosion of foundational UNFCCC principles.
“We are standing at a crossroads,” said a civil society representative in Bonn.
“Either SB62 begins to restore trust and uphold the spirit of climate justice, or we continue down a path where finance is hollow, accountability is optional, and the 1.5°C goal becomes unattainable.”
Key Issues at SB62:
Finance Gap: With no mandates for meaningful post-COP30 action, SB62 is expected to face strong demands from the Global South for binding finance commitments and real accountability.
Article 6 Controversy: The integrity and fairness of international carbon markets remain in question, especially given their bypass of formal consensus at COP29.
US Withdrawal Impact: President Trump’s second withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has reshaped global climate dynamics, leaving a leadership void and threatening progress on multilateral cooperation.
Just Transition and Adaptation: Rich nations are under pressure to stop promoting false solutions and corporate-led schemes that undermine genuine adaptation and deepen inequality.
The Road to COP30 in Belém: SB62 outcomes will help determine whether COP30 in Brazil becomes a moment of reckoning—or yet another missed opportunity.
With climate impacts escalating, particularly across the Global South, the Bonn talks are expected to be tense, with developing countries and civil society calling out the Global North’s historical responsibility and insisting on meaningful steps toward climate justice.
“The world cannot afford another negotiation cycle of empty promises,” said a negotiator from Africa.
“SB62 must prepare the ground for a COP30 that delivers on equity, climate finance, and the real transition we’ve been demanding for decades.”
About SB62
SB62 refers to the 62nd sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) of the UNFCCC. These sessions provide technical input and set the groundwork for decisions expected at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
