JK tells rich nations: Do more for climate change

BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER

21st November 2013

  Says Africa worst hit by greenhouse gases

Chairman of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, President Jakaya Kikwete addresses the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP19/CMP9) in Warsaw, Poland yesterday.

President Jakaya Kikwete has called upon developed nations, who are the biggest carbon emitters to make available adequate, sustainable and predictable financial resources, transfer of technology on concessional basis and establishment modalities to finance the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

“Our position in Africa is that, developed countries should take appropriate action to reduce Green House Gases (GHGs) between 25 percent and 40 percent by 2020 and between 80 percent and 95 percent by 2050,” Kikwtete told attendants of the Climate Change United Nations Conference in Warsaw, Poland (COP 19).
Kikwete who is the Chairman of the African Union Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, underscored the fact that despite producing the smallest amounts of carbon emissions, Africa suffers more than any other continent on the planet as result of the of these greenhouse gases produced by developed countries.

“Despite having the smallest traceable carbon footprints Africa displays a wider range and diversity of challenges and adversities caused by climate change,” the president told the gathering.

He said Africa’s per capitaemission is, on average, less than 1 ton per annum and even with our current growth rate, our per capita emission is not likely to exceed 2 tons for the next 17 years (to 2030).

“The sad fact is that we are very constrained in terms of financial resources and technological know how to effectively respond to this threat,” he told the conference attended by high ranking officials including the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon.

UNEP Adaptation Gap Technical Report shows that in a below 2°C warming pathway, adaptation costs in Africa are estimated to be US$35 billion per year by the 2040s and US$200 billion per year by the 2070s.

However, much of it has gone to more advanced developing countries than those in Africa. The President said this has to change if the world is to really meet the demands wrought by climate change.

“We need a Convention Framework that recognizes the vulnerability of African States and addresses their limited capacity in mitigation and adaptation,” noted Kikwete.

Africa as the rest of the World expects the conference to reach consensus on the institutional arrangement to address loss and damage due to climate change, an urgent need for Green Climate Fund to be capitalized and an institution to administer forest related activities. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN