SHARM EL-SHEIKH: African and Caribbean leaders have asked for more funding and technical support from rich countries in the fight against global warming in various speeches at the UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt, or COP27.
Speaking at COP27 in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the entire African continent is now experiencing the effects of climate change.
Ramaphosa said Africa needs to build its adaptive capacity but also urged multilateral cooperation to achieve sustainability goals.
“Multilateral support is out of reach of the majority of the world’s population due to lending policies and conditions. We need a clear road map to deliver the decision in Glasgow to double the financing adaptation by 2025,” said Ramaphosa, referring to last year’s COP26 summit in Scotland.
At the opening of this year’s conference, participating countries agreed to include the issue of “loss and damage” on the main agenda for the first time.
Recognizing loss and damage would see cash-rich polluters pay reparations to poorer states that make negligible contributions to emissions but still face unavoidable damage from to climate change due to worsening floods, droughts and rising sea levels.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the summit, Adel Al-Jubeir, the Saudi envoy for climate affairs, emphasized that the response to climate change must be based on science and not on emotions.
“Saudi Arabia has always maintained that discussions about climate change should be based on logic and science, rather than emotions, because we believe that there are solutions to these challenges. If we put our thoughts and put our resources and implement them, I would say that the actions of Saudi Arabia speak for themselves.
Speaking on the issue of renewable energy, Al-Jubeir said that the Kingdom’s dedication to being the largest exporter of green hydrogen in the world shows its commitment to the welfare of the environment.
“We plan to become the largest exporter of green hydrogen in the world. We want to make sure that we not only contribute but that we effectively contribute to facing the challenges of global change,” he said.
He added that the launch of the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives are necessary actions taken to support climate change action.
“Saudi Arabia is leading the movement in the region through the Middle East Green Initiative, which is the most ambitious project in the world in terms of combating desertification and planting trees and shrubs to reduce carbon and increase oxygen production. ”
Al-Jubeir also said that the Kingdom has launched more than 60 initiatives to deal with environmental challenges, such as turning waste into energy, greening cities, and protecting and preserving 30 percent of country land for natural habitat.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative, the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, said that policies to combat global warming must be coordinated with non-governmental organizations.
He said that the scientific community has a key role in the initiative – something that sets it apart from other organizations.
“Despite the main responsibility of states and governments in this regard, other non-governmental parties should play complementary and supporting roles based on their responsibility and work towards the principles of cooperation and participation ,” said El-Sisi.
“What distinguishes the initiative (for) that we are meeting today from other initiatives and efforts is the scientific component it contains, which is necessary if we seek to adapt our efforts to climate change to the best available science.”
El-Sisi said the region has witnessed extreme climate events in recent years, from forest fires to floods and heavy rains, resulting in large human and financial losses.
“We have faith in countries that can take this initiative within the framework of coordinated policies aimed at climate change,” he said.
“This is a region that, as you know, is one of the most affected regions in the world by the consequences of climate change and its harmful effects at all levels,” he added.
African and Caribbean leaders however argue that their countries need urgent financial assistance to tackle climate challenges.
In his speech at COP27, Evariste Ndayishimiye, president of Burundi, said it is important that African countries are given sufficient funds to help accelerate the energy transition.
“Burundi asks the UN and international financial institutions to create new financial mechanisms. These mechanisms must contain green bonds and large financial guarantees,” he said.
Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called for a “radical restructuring of the global financial architecture.”
He added: “No one wins if Africa loses.”
Meanwhile, Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told delegates that reparations would help the world meet its climate goals.
“Loss and damage should not be viewed through controversial lenses; it should be considered a decarbonization accelerator,” he said.
“We should establish a loss and damage response fund here. Adopting an agenda item is just one step. We anticipate building funds by 2024.”
He also added that humanity needs collective action to reduce harmful emissions and criticized fossil fuel companies.
Browne, speaking on behalf of the 39-nation Alliance of Small Island States, also called for a windfall tax on oil companies to compensate developing countries for the damage caused by the change in climate natural disasters.
“It’s time these companies were made to pay a global COP carbon tax on this revenue as a source of funding for loss and damage,” Browne said.
“While they are making money, the planet is burning.”
On Monday, Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados, called for a 10 percent tax on oil companies to fund the loss and damage.
During Tuesday’s meeting of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative, Abdul Latif Rashid, president of Iraq, said it is time to act on the climate.
“I think we have enough information, knowledge (and) technology to solve these problems,” he said, emphasizing the need for all countries to support an implementation plan and provide solutions.
“It will take time to implement and ensure the necessary finances. There are direct and indirect factors that affect the climate, such as the increase in population, which directly affects climate change,” said Rashid.
“We need to get new systems with new technologies…to limit water waste in the future,” he added.
Nicos Kouyialis, the Cypriot agriculture minister, said the Middle East region has been classified by the scientific community as a global climate change hotspot, adding that coordinated action is needed.
“Action based on sound scientific knowledge is needed to address climate change issues in the Middle East region,” he said.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades agreed, adding: “I have no doubt that we will act with urgency, work together and coordinate, to ensure a better environment for the future.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister of Greece, said that energy security remains a major concern. “We talked with Abdel Fattah El-Sisi about energy projects to ensure a more efficient transfer of energy, not only for use in the region, but for export to the European market,” said said Mitsotakis.
Meanwhile, Bisher Al-Khasawneh, the prime minister of Jordan, pointed to the effects on the environment, food and population due to climate change.
“They are increasing day by day and predict a future disaster,” he said. “That’s why we need to start an initiative to deal with these consequences of climate change.
“Jordan promised to comply and take all measures for comprehensive solutions and to ensure green growth while implementing our national ambitions.”