UN Secretary General António Guterres is urging developed nations to deliver on their commitments and finance developing countries with $1.3 trillion a year by 2035 to tackle the injustices of climate change.
The UN chief made the call at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) which opened Saturday at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
“Adaptation must be a priority. This requires developed countries tripling adaptation finance, mobilizing 1.3 trillion U.S dollars a year for developing countries by 2035 and scaling up the loss and damage fund,” Guterres said.
He said the G20, which comprises 19 countries and the European Union, contributes close to 80 percent of global emissions. “They also must deliver major emission reductions this decade,” he said.
According to Guterres, climate change continues to have devastating consequences on the planet and people’s livelihoods with Africa facing faster-than-average warming.
“Africa receives just two per cent of global clean energy investment. After contributing almost nothing to the crisis, Africa faces faster-than- average warming,” he said, underscoring the urgency of assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063 of AU.
The secretary general said ensuring African countries benefit from their critical minerals resources is necessary through fair, sustainable value chains and in line with the recommendations of the UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
He also noted Africa can be a clean energy powerhouse of the world if the continent is able to exploit renewable resources including its solar energy resource which accounts for 60 percent of the world’s best solar potential.
Meanwhile, Guterres reaffirmed that the absence of permanent seats for Africa in the Security Council is “indefensible.”
“The absence of permanent African seats in the Security Council is indefensible. This is 2026, not 1946. Whatever decisions about Africa and the world are on the table, Africa must be at the table,” he added.
MG/as/APA