African leaders urge Western nations to honor climate change commitments

JOHANNESBURG, KIGALI, Rwanda

African leaders said categorically on Tuesday at the World Leaders Climate Action Summit (WLCAS) in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, that they are taking steps to reduce carbon emissions but will be unable to meet climate goals without funding from wealthier nations.

“We cannot reach our climate goals alone, we call on our global partners to honor their commitments ensuring accessible concessional financing for sustainable development in Africa without unsustainable debt,’’ Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo said.

Addressing the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP29 summit, Akufo-Addo said his country has planted 50 million trees and undertaken forest restoration efforts covering 721,000 hectares of land since 2017, aiming to cut emissions by 64 million metric tons by 2030.

He noted that achieving this target requires investments of $10-15 billion, but despite financial and technical challenges, Ghana is committed to meeting Paris Agreement goals across agriculture, transport, forestry, and energy, among other sectors.

He said Ghana encourages electric vehicle use and has raised $800 million through carbon credit trading with countries like Switzerland and Sweden.

El Nino-induced droughts

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his country has been severely impacted by climate change, particularly through El Nino-induced droughts.

“Zimbabwe bears the scars of climate change and is currently experiencing one of the most devastating El Nino-induced droughts in history,’’ he said.

Mnangagwa said the drought has impacted nearly every aspect of life in Zimbabwe, prompting the government to declare a national disaster in April.

“The time for half measures is over. We all have a duty to fully implement our agreements,’’ he said.

Africa paying steep price

Togo’s President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe stressed the need for genuine climate justice, calling for shared but differentiated responsibilities among nations.

“Africa is paying the harshest price for climate change… we contribute small amounts in terms of emissions but we incur the most severe impact. It's our ecosystems of food security that are bearing the brunt of this crisis,” Gnassingbe said.

He said the need for climate justice is urgent and can no longer be ignored. “As leaders, each and everyone’s responsibility should move beyond promises to concrete actions.’’

Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said COP29 is taking place amid a global climate crisis that requires urgent and coordinated action.

“We must have a political will to take responsibility and collectively address the current challenges with the necessary spirit of cooperation and solidarity,” Embalo stressed.

He called for an urgent need for fair and accessible climate financing for developing countries as a priority and necessary condition to enhance resilience and adaptation.

President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo expressed concern about climate financing, stating, “The new goal for climate financing must be based on scientific data that takes into account the needs of developing countries.”