Your Excellency Donald Tusk, Prime
Minister of Poland;
Your Excellency Mr. Ban Ki Moon,
UN Secretary General;
Excellencies Heads of State and
Government;
His Excellencies John Asha, President
of the United Nation General Assembly;
Honourable Marcin Korolec, Minister for
the Environment of Poland and COP 19/CMP9 President;
Honourable Ministers;
Ms. Christiana Figueres, Executive
Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
Distinguished Delegates;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
I sincerely thank you
Mr. Prime Minister and the people of Poland for the warmth of reception and
gracious hospitality accorded to me and my delegation since our arrival in this
beautiful city of Warsaw. On behalf of African Heads of State and Government
who I represent here today, I wish to express our deepest appreciation to your
Excellency and your esteemed Government for a job very well done of hosting and
organising this Conference so well. We congratulate Poland for assuming the
Presidency of COP 19/CMP 9 and pledge our full support and cooperation.
Allow me also to
commend the State of Qatar for the good work done at COP 18/CMP 8 and during
the intervening period to this meeting. In a very special way I would like to
pay special tribute to my predecessor the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi for
the wonderful job he did representing the views of our dear continent, Africa.
I will try to do my level best to ensure that his legacy lives on.
Furthermore, we
express our deepest sorrow and condolences to the people of the Philippines and
Vietnam for loss of lives and property caused by the recent devastating
typhoon. It speaks volumes about the urgency of taking appropriate
measures to deal with climate change. Otherwise there will be more end even
worse disasters now and in future.
Mr. President,
It is an open secret
that climate change poses one of the biggest threats to humanity’s well being
and its very existence. Africa suffers more than any other continent on this
planet. Africa displays a wider range and diversity of challenges and
adversities caused by climate change. The sad thing is Africa suffers so much, despite having the smallest carbon footprints.
Africa’s per capita emission is, on average, less than 1 ton per
annum. And, with our current growth rate, our per capita emission is not likely
to exceed 2 tons, by 2030.
Mr. President;
Africa does not want
to be on the receiving end with regard to climate change and its effects.
We have been taking measures both policy and otherwise to respond to the needs
for mitigation and adaptation. Unfortunately we are constrained in terms
of limited financial resources technology and skills. I would like to use
this opportunity to make two humble appeals. Fortunately they are not
new. First, making available adequate, sustainable and predictable financial
resources, transfer of technology on concessional basis, establishment of
modalities for financing Green Climate Fund (GCF). We also call for equitable
opportunities in carbon trade.
UNEP Adaptation Gap
Technical Report shows that in a below 2°C warming pathway, adaptation costs in
Africa is estimated to be USD 35 billion per year by the 2040s and USD
200 billion per year by the 2070s. Going by experience, these resources
are unlikely to be realized. For example, over the last three
years, the financial pledges made have not been met. Also, over 70 percent of
what has been delivered, has gone towards addressing mitigation than
adaptation. And much of it has gone to more advanced developing countries than
Africa.
This must change if
we really want to move forward. We need a Convention
Framework that recognizes the vulnerability of African States and address
their limited capacity in mitigation and adaption.
Mr. President,
The
second appeal is about the Framework continuing to embody the principle of “Polluter
pays and that of common but differentiated responsibilities”. This is
important because it is in the interest of all countries, those in the Kyoto
Protocol and those outside it to increase their carbon reduction ambition
targets. Our position in Africa is that developed countries should
pluck-up political will and take appropriate action to reduce Green House Gases
(GHGs) by between 25 percent and 40 percent by 2020 and by
between 80 percent and 95 percent by 2050 below 1990 levels in
line with the recommendation of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC). In this regard, we urge all parties to ratify the Doha Amendments for
the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol.
Excellencies;
It
is heart warming indeed, to note that many African countries are already making
serious efforts to reduce green house emissions besides contribution to
mitigation and adaptation. Besides putting in place national climate change
policies, and strategies that provide the financial technological and capacity
needs to address climate change we have set aside millions of hectares of land
as forest reserves and national parks that are sequestering carbon dioxide
emissions produced elsewhere.
We know, also that a
lot of efforts have been made and continue to be made to address the
devastating effects of climate change at the global scale, and a lot of
progress is being made as well. However, much more remains and needs to be
done. The world looks to this COP 19/CMP 9 to take bold decisions to advance
the cause of fighting for the wellbeing of this planet we all call home.
This meeting provides us with another opportunity to renew our
commitment to addressing the threats. We should rise to these
expectations without failure. It is our humble view in Africa that a successful
outcome here at Warsaw will be an important milestone in our journey to Peru
next year and ultimately, to Paris in 2015 where we must ensure that we get a
new legally binding agreement. Failure to succeed at Paris will be
heartbreaking indeed.
Mr. President;
Specifically at this
meeting Africa would like to go home with consensus on the seven key areas of
discussion and negotiation:-
1. You
will agree on the institutional arrangement to address loss and damage due to
climate change.
2. You
will agree on the institution to administer forest related activities. An
institution for ensuring and supervising financial support to developing
countries to deal with issues related to REDD+ should be agreed.
3. We
hope you will agree on reporting mechanisms and guidelines which will allow
monitoring of actions to reduce emissions in developed countries.
4. Elements
and framework on how developed countries will increase their emission reduction
ambitions need to be elaborated.
5. There
is an urgent need for Green Climate Fund to be capitalized. It is an empty
shell at the moment. We must ensure that its coffers are adequately filled.
Also, you must agree on how the promised USD 100 billion annually by
2020 will be realised and disbursed.
6. The
Climate Technology Centre and Network should ensure mechanism to address
barriers related technology transfer, including the issue of intellectual
property rights are addressed.
7. At
this COP we also need to ensure that elements for increased emission reduction
ambitions are agreed.
Mr. President;
Let me end by
reiterating that Africa welcomes the United Nations Secretary General’s call
for a Leader’s Summit in 2014. We hope that the Warsaw Outcome will address the
way forward in implementation of the Doha Gateway, including access to finance,
technology transfer and an inclusive roadmap with clear commitment in all areas
at COP 20 in Lima, Peru and a meaningful agreement at COP 21 in Paris.
Africa looks forward to constructive engagements and
successful conclusions of the conference.
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