Poor nations walk out of climate deal consultation with COP29 president: Video

The protests were sparked by dissatisfaction with the draft agreement being negotiated by the host nation, Azerbaijan, amid accusations of inadequate support for developing nations on climate action.

The walkout included representatives from the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), who have long been demanding greater financial commitments from wealthy nations to tackle the climate crisis. Cedric Schuster, the Samoan chairman of AOSIS, voiced frustration, stating, "We came here to this COP for a fair deal. We feel that we haven't been heard."

At the heart of the dispute is a proposed increase in climate finance, which would see rich nations raise their funding to poorer countries to $300 billion annually by 2035—up from the current $100 billion. The deal is part of the ongoing negotiations for a final text to be adopted by the 198 nations present at the summit.

However, many developing countries argue that the offer falls short of their needs, with Sierra Leone’s climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai condemning the draft as "effectively a suicide pact for the rest of the world."

An unpublished version of the final text circulating in Baku also revealed that the draft proposal includes a broader target of $1.3 trillion per year to help nations combat climate change and its devastating effects, with most of that funding coming from private sources.

This has been met with scepticism, particularly as many developing nations argue that relying on private financing won’t address the urgent needs of vulnerable countries.