Harare, (Ziana) – Zimbabwe will be lobbying for more resources and technology to be availed to developing countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change at the 29th Conference of Parties (COP 29) set for November in Azerbaijan, a senior government official has said.
Addressing stakeholders who attended the pre-COP meeting in the capital on Tuesday, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Washington Zhakata said as a developing country that is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, Zimbabwe is calling for more resources and technology to be availed to mitigate and adapt to climate change problems.
“Zimbabwe and the Africa Group will take COP29 as an opportunity to reiterate the need for greater ambition by developed countries in their mitigation efforts including through the UN-led global compliance market under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. “As a developing country that is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, Zimbabwe is calling for more resources and technology to be availed to mitigate and adapt to climate change,” said Zhakata.
He said the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released in 2021 assets with high confidence that extreme weather events such as droughts and tropical cyclones will intensify in the medium term. This means that loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change will continue for the near future, he said.
Zhakata said Zimbabwe and the Africa Group will take COP29 as an opportunity to reiterate the need for developed countries to increase their contributions for mitigation efforts, including through the UN-led global compliance market under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
“Whilst Zimbabwe is joining the rest of the world in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, it is well- aware of the impacts of global actions such as the phase-out of coal-fired power stations on its economy.
“The country calls for well-thought-out plans and strategies that take into consideration our levels of economic development, the need to reduce energy poverty and time for communities and economic systems to adjust,” he said.
The 29th Conference of Parties, said Zhakata, will discuss outcomes from COP28 with a special focus on climate finance, carbon markets, loss and damage, adaptation, agriculture and food security, just energy transition and mitigation, adding that a draft Zimbabwe position paper is going to be prepared and presented for final inputs at the upcoming National Climate Change Conference tentatively scheduled for 3 to 4 October 2024 in the capital.
He said that Zimbabwe’s views and perspectives should be guided by its national development aspirations as envisioned in Vision 2030 and articulated in the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
Emission reductions should go alongside economic development, green industrialization, infrastructure enhancement, climate-smart agriculture and efforts towards poverty reduction, he said.
Speaking at the same event, ACT Alliance Zimbabwe national coordinator, Sostina Takure urged stakeholders to use simple terminology when discussing climate change issues for ordinary people to understand.
She also suggested some capacity building programmes for members of parliament so that they articulate correctly climate change issues to grass root structures they interact with.
“My challenge to you is how do we build the capacity of our leaders who stand in Parliament and those whom we expect to speak on climate change? How do we speak to them in a language that they understand?” she asked.
She said if there were any initiatives to capacitate legislators on climate change issues, her organisation stood ready to offer financial support.
Takure said trillions of US dollars were being talked about as money set aside to fight climate change, and urged African countries to speak with one voice to get the largest chunk of that amount.
“As we are going there as Zimbabwe, as we are going there as Africa, what is it that we want? In Cote d’Ivoire (COP28) one person said that US$1 trillion, the other would say US$1.5 trillion, but it is in the trillions. Africa is asking for trillions. Lets get that right, lets push that agenda that in that trillion when you break it down what is there for Sub-Saharan Africa, what is there for Zimbabwe specifically?” Takure asked.
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