ADDIS ABABA – Environment Forest and Climate Change Commission (EFCCC) said that the country has made active participation that keeps its leading role in preserving environment and partnering for climate resilient economy on the COP25 summit and its sideline events.
In a press release sent to The Ethiopian Herald, EFCCC said that Ethiopia was actively participated in the approved articles presented to COP25 summit including the financial support to national adaptation plan especially to developing nations.
The 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP25 was held in Madrid, Spain, from two to 13 December 2019 under the participation of over 2,000 delegates. In addition, participants also agreed to realize the capacity building support to least developing countries by the Paris Committee on Capacity Building as it clearly stipulated in the Paris agreement.
On the other hand, reports presented by Technology Executive Committee and Climate Technology Center and Network have been discussed and approved by the partakers. However, due to various disagreements the summit postponed some issues to the next session including Market and nonmarket mechanism, Long Term Finance and Adaptation Fund Membership among others.
Undertaking about 50 sideline and bilateral events, Ethiopian representatives have also discussed with partners on the national effort to preserve environment and building climate change resilient economy focusing on agriculture and renewable energies. Accordingly, the discussions were fruitful in terms of convincing partner countries to enhance their support and attracting new ones.
In this regard, the agreement with the government of United Kingdom dictates about offering continual financial support to green development activities of the country. In addition, the government of Netherlands also agreed to increase support for improving environmental protection activities in relation to agricultural productivity.
Every decision of the summit is directly or indirectly related to the people. Therefore, the commission has been releasing information to the public on core points of discussions made in each session. Accordingly, the country achieved its interest in the summit by conducting active participation. Therefore, the diplomacy in climate change and environment protection was also successful in terms of availing resources and supports both from familiar partners and new ones.
Ethiopia intends to limit its net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2030 to 145 MtCO2e or lower. This would constitute a 255 MtCO2e reduction from the projected ‘business-as-usual’ (BAU) emissions in 2030 or a 64 percent reduction from the BAU scenario in 2030, it was learnt.
Moreover, the country intends to undertake adaptation initiatives to reduce the vulnerability of its population, environment and economy to the adverse effects of climate change, based on its Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy. According to the release, the commission will undertake various activities to prepare directives for ensuring country’s benefit based on the decisions reached in COP25 summit.
In line to this, national preparation will begin to implement the Paris agreement that pledge support to green development starting from 2020. In this regard, heralding country’s commitment to ensure green development and attracting international support for its realization is significant to endure nation’s leading role globally, the release noted.
The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UNFCCC is expected to take place from nine to 19 November 2020, in Glasgow, UK.
The Ethiopian Herald, December 24/2019
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
