BY EPHREM ANDAGRACHEW
Agenda 2063 has given due emphasis to mitigating climate change effects. States in the continent should be expected to reduce the effect of climate change. Fighting the negative impact of climate change has remained a hot issue, not only in Africa but across the globe.
Hence, states in the continent have been trying to curb the effect of climate change which results in devastating climatic disasters in Africa. Every country is responsible to contribute to this planet and do more and faster. Using cleaner fuels and reduction of pollution is one important aspect of all sorts. Besides, an environmental protection plan is a key to ensuring the efforts to reduce and subsequently eliminate the CO2 emissions from Transport.
According to African Union Commission Infrastructure and Energy Commissioner Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, Africa should develop various energy resources to address the global threat of climate change. There is a need for our continent to balance all branches of development and ensure a fair share in the global action response.
Developing renewable energy is aimed at generating clean energy since it avoids fossil fuels. Changing the energy resources that the continent is using into natural gas or electricity is also important to have the cleanest energy that is not affecting the health and environment, Commissioner Amani noted.
Indeed, climate change is a global threat with severe, cross-sectoral, long-term, and in several cases, irreversible impacts. While Africa’s contribution to the effects of global climate change remains low due to its low industrialization rate, various studies and reports show that Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change. African ecosystems are already being affected by climate change, and future impacts are expected to be substantial.
Taking this fact into consideration the African Union (AU) boldly put agenda 2063 as a road map to fight the effect of climate change. An Academic article that was written by Uzuazo Etemire entitled “Tackling Climate Change in Africa: Thoughts on African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Adequacy of the African Legal Regime” stated that recognizing the challenges and threats to Africa’s growth plan, Agenda 2063 broadly proposes to tackle the impacts of climate change through adaptation and appropriate mitigation measures.
Specifically, African nations, under the Agenda, commit to ‘Act with a sense of urgency on climate change and environment. The design and adoption of AU’s Agenda 2063 to propel the sustainable socio-economic transformation of Africa by, among others, ensuring climate-resilient economies and communities in the continent through the establishment of adequate mitigation and adaptation measures, is a welcomed development, Etemire explained.
Ethiopia, since part of the continent, has been playing its role in mitigating the negative effect of climate change. Apart from planting tree seedlings, the country is developing and using renewable energy and bringing modern technologies which are important to reduce environmental pollution. These efforts help the county to meet the objectives of the stainable development goal (SDG) and agenda 2063.
Ethiopian Ministry of Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa confirms that Ethiopia is working toward globally agreed development goals. However, Ethiopia is facing various challenges, but the country has been committed and working to ensure the achievement of SDG and so on.
The commitment of Ethiopia is imperative to harmonize development and mitigate climate change. More importantly, the current move by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics is a good example. The Ministry, in addition to the electric train, provides electric vehicles which is the legacy of modern technology that contributes to the protection of the environment.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport and Logistics Minister Dagmawit Moges, using electric vehicles will not only save more than 4 billion US dollars in fuel purchase costs every year, but it will also help to reduce fossil fuel usage across the country.
In order to solve the transportation problem in Addis Ababa, 400 more electric vehicles will be put into operation soon. An electric vehicle can cover an average of 200-240 km per full charge, which requires an electric service charge of no more than 20 Birr. Where as fuel-powered vehicles require using an average of 20 liters of fuel which is costly.
It is true that using electric vehicle decrease the amount of carbon emission from the transport sector. Introducing climate resilient vehicles and building climate-friendly transport services contribute to minimizing high carbon emissions to the environment. Hence, electric vehicles are promoting and becoming solutions to minimize carbon emissions from the sector.
Currently, Ethiopia is doing concrete work to ensure that transportation activities are free from air pollution. The country is working to realize the vision of creating a carbon-free transportation and logistics system through integrating the vast renewable energy potentials with competitive electric-based vehicle technology with stakeholders, Dagmawit said.
It is obvious that access to electricity is a challenge for the continent. Hence, it is imperative to provide financial, technical, and moral support for Ethiopia in order to see additional carbon-free technologies not only in the transportation and logistics services but also in other sectors. Because the support would help the country to discharge its responsibilities in line with agenda 2063.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 24 JULY 2022
