Climate funds must be availed to all: Minister Ndlovu
ALL African countries should be availed funds to enable them to mount a strong fight against climate change, instead of prioritising a few countries.
The remarks were made by Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu and other experts here yesterday in response to an announcement by United States President Joe Biden on Friday evening, that he would provide funds to Egypt for new solar and wind projects, in return for decommissioning of gas power plants and reducing emissions.
President Biden also implored world leaders not to “plead ignorance” anymore, but confront climate change head-on.
“Let’s raise both our ambition and speed of our efforts. If we are going to win this fight, every major emitter needs to align with 1.5 degrees Celsius,” he said.
Towards the end of his presentation, the American President was heckled by protesters who are unhappy with the way developed countries, especially the US, are responding to climate challenges.
In an interview yesterday, Minister Ndlovu said President Biden “showed leadership expected of the US in terms of changing the narrative on a number of issues that were developing, especially where it had become almost a foregone conclusion that developed countries were not going to put any money on the table and that the way forward was now crowding in the private sector”.
“He came in, he pledged what the US is putting on the table and he also indicated that by 2030, the US would have reached its emissions reduction target.
“So, I think that sends a very good signal when you contrast it with the general mood that was there before he came. We were no longer seeing any strong commitments on emissions reduction from developed countries, any commitments to fund climate-related issues from the developed countries.”
However, Minister Ndlovu said he was concerned about the “gradual move towards a bilateral approach to issues where he says we (the US) are working with Egypt on a solar project, we are working with Angola, with this country, with that country”.
“For us, it gives an indication that even a global issue like climate change will end up being politicised, will end up being considered from geopolitical issues.
“We thought that we would have a common fund where projects are evaluated on their bankability, on their impact, which the nations are able to tap from. So, these are the issues which I hope when we go into full time negotiations and decisions this coming week, the African Group (of Negotiators) would be able to come strong on. Otherwise, it will lose the impetus it had gained,” said Minister Ndlovu.
A number of developing countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) commitments are conditional on funding, without which, nothing happens and the world continues to suffer the effects of climate change, as has happened in Zimbabwe in 2019 following Cyclone Idai and recently in Nigeria, Pakistan and Sudan where hundreds of people died due to flooding.
A Zambian representative, Mr Francis Mpampi, told The Herald he was happy the US was planning to double money to the Adaptation Fund to US$ 100 million.
“But I think the question that we should ask now is, when is this going to happen and how is it going to happen, and when does this become part of the agenda item?
“If it happens, then what is the share of resources that are coming to Africa under the Adaptation Fund? So I think it’s a positive direction but the question is, when does it become effective and how much are we looking at in terms of allocation per country in Africa,” said Mr Mpampi.
In respect of adopting a bilateral approach to dealing with climate change, Mr Mpampi said the US remained one of the largest funders for most of the climate financing, and “it would be good if most of the resources were pushed into global bodies”.
“Maybe this might not have been the correct platform for announcing such (plan to support Egypt). Maybe because of the COP being in Egypt, from their angle, he might have looked at it as politically correct,” he said.
Director of Power Shift Africa, Mr Mohamed Adow, told journalists the world no longer wants “any more words, we want debt suspension, we want reparations, we want climate justice”.