The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, criticised international donors for making it difficult for poorer nations to access aid to fight climate change.
According to a UN-backed report released Tuesday, developing countries and emerging economies need investments well beyond $2 trillion annually by 2030.
Speaking at the ongoing COP27 summit on Tuesday, Cyril Ramaphosa, asked for a clear roadmap.
“We need a clear roadmap to deliver on the Glasgow decision to double adaptation financing by 2025, our emphasis must be on the health, well-being, and food and water security of the most vulnerable people in the world. We are already scaling up investment in renewable energy and are on a course to retire a number of aging coal-fired power stations. The amount of money that is needed for South Africa to embark on this difficult journey is close on to $90 trillion”, said Ramaphosa.
The projection that the African continent had concerning climate financing has been dealt a huge blow by the lack of commitment that has been associated with developed countries. This follows the fact that since the Glasgow climate pact, the $100billion per annum threshold that was agreed upon by the Organisation for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD) is yet to be made. For African countries, at this rate, climate adaptation cannot be achieved and a catalogue of interventions will need to be made.
During his presentation, Ramaphosa did not mince his frustration over the weak-willed commitment. The outspoken leader of one of Africa’s largest economies cited that,
“COP 26 in Glasgow last year, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union offered support in the form of a Just Energy Transition Partnership.
It is our hope that this partnership will offer a ground-breaking approach to funding by developed countries for the ambitious but necessary mitigation and adaptation goals of developing countries”
While his presentation was laden with queries on the lack of good faith by developed countries, Ramaphosa showered praises on Egypt and its commitment towards climate justice.
“South Africa reiterates its support for the Egyptian Presidency and its confidence in the successful outcomes of COP 27”, he added.
Meanwhile, during the Tuesday deliberations, security had to escort Egyptian pro-government lawmaker Amr Darwish after he disrupted a press conference led by the sister of a jailed British-Egyptian activist currently on hunger strike.
“We are talking about an Egyptian citizen detained for a criminal offense, he is not a political prisoner”, said Amr Darwish, Egyptian pro-government parliamentarian. The sister of the jailed activist appealed to the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak.
“I don’t know if after COP Alaa will be alive or not. I trust that the (British, Ed.) prime minister will do his best, that Rishi Sunak will do his best”, pleaded Sanaa Seif, sister of jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah.
The activist, currently serving a five-year sentence was accused of spreading false narratives on the Egyptian government after denouncing police brutality on social networks.
Sources: Africa News, Reuters
