COP29 gets a perhaps unlikely appearance from ‘Hugh Grant’ – kind of…

As COP29 continues, one campaign group has pulled on the talents of Hugh Grant to make its case for them. However, we’re not talking shaggy-haired leftie movie star Hugh Grant (yet). We’re talking about a mock up of one of his most famous films.

Hugh Grant – sorry, HUGE Grants at COP29

There’s an unlikely star emerging for COP29, who’s been featured in ECO magazine and memes. It’s the one and only HUGE Grants (not ‘Hugh’, sorry) and the film Love, Actually.

Yes, that’s right Huge Grants is the star power currently missing from the new global climate finance goal (NCQG) text released this morning at COP29. What campaign group Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK) has done is taken the iconic movie poster for Love, Actually and turned it into a rallying cry for COP29 to do the right thing over controversial climate finance:

We're here at #COP29 to talk about a new global climate finance goal, and our key message is that it's about public finance, actually…#PublicFinanceActually#HugeGrants pic.twitter.com/VLpOqbko4n

— CAN-UK (@CAN_UK_) November 21, 2024

The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance needs to be agreed at COP29, due to conclude tomorrow. This morning’s version of the negotiating text has not moved the process towards a consensus outcome.

Instead it contains two very different approaches – one with a strong focus on the grant-based public finance urgently needed by developing countries – and the other that does not reflect the obligations of developed countries under the Paris Agreement to provide climate finance to developing countries.

CAN-UK has consistently called for a greater focus on grant-based public finance in the NCQG as a matter of climate justice.

Sort the climate finance out, actually

There are two options in the text, and CAN-UK wants to make sure we’re clear that we are here for Public Finance, Actually and that means, we want to see Huge Grants. Evidence shows that the finance is all around us (harmful subsidies, tax breaks for oil companies), so at COP29, we’re asking everyone not to be Wet Wet Wet, and to come on and let it flow!

Catherine Pettengell, Executive Director of Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK) said:

Everyone loves a festive movie, and the NCQG negotiations need some Huge Grants star power, to gift everyone the outcome we need here at COP29. Finance continues to flow to the harmful causes of the climate crisis, and not the climate action needed, so our message is clear: that we need public finance (actually), so come on and let it flow.

So, it seems that Hugh Grant’s – NO, ‘Huge Grants” – Public Finance, Actually could be the blockbuster of the decade – if only leaders at COP29 could get their act together:

We’re waiting here at #COP29 for progress on the new global climate finance goal #NCQG

If it was a movie… this would be the teaser trailer… pic.twitter.com/lIJJdFXypB

— CAN-UK (@CAN_UK_) November 21, 2024

Featured image via CAN-UK