Eswatini among first countries for US green energy funding

MBABANE – Eswatini will be one of the first countries to participate in a global public-private partnership to bring reliable, renewable energy solutions to health clinics throughout the country.

The US Embassy in Eswatini said it would continue advocating for green energy and supporting countries in this call. This came after the Russian Federation Ambassador to Eswatini Alexander Surikov, criticised developed countries for their green energy advocacy. Surikov, during a press conference on January 17, 2023, cited his country’s interest to invest in the energy sector in the country. The ambassador criticised the calls for green energy production. He said green energy production was just a scam by certain countries in order to collapse the economy of small nations. He added that the cost of renewable energy was just too high and most of the machinery used was sold in those countries that are at the forefront, calling for green energy. He also called for scientists do thorough research and stop misleading the world. US Embassy Spokesperson, Stephanie Sandoval said; “The U.S. is prepared to set a strong example in the global fight against climate change. Green energy is an area where we are focusing our efforts and setting an example to follow. “For example, as part of our longstanding health partnerships, the US Government has prioritised funding for Eswatini to be one of the first countries to participate in a global public-private partnership to bring reliable, renewable energy solutions to health clinics throughout the country. This partnership is the Power Africa Health Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA) initiative.” The spokesperson said the Biden Administration was committed to achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, putting the United States on an irreversible path to a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050. She highlighted that climate change was a pressing global security threat, an impending crisis that would especially impact the most vulnerable people and places on our planet. As such, President Biden was raising global climate ambition and placing action at the top of his agenda.

“The United States produces 15 per cent of the world’s carbon pollution. But even if we brought it down to zero, we wouldn’t solve the crisis, because the rest of the world is producing the other 85 per cent. This is the definition of a problem we need to work together, as a community of nations, to solve. And we can’t settle for only doing the bare minimum. We have to challenge ourselves and each other to do more,” she added.