LT-LEDS shows Ethiopia’scommitment to climate change adaptation

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BY EPHREM ANDARGACHEW

 The effect of climate change creates challenges for development at both the international and national level. Hence, states of the world prepare policies, regulatory frameworks, and planning guidelines to harmonize development and climate change by reducing risks.

There were various attempts in the past to harmonize climate change and development at the local level. However, these attempts were limited due to several challenges including finance. The efforts also couldn’t bring the two processes together in a way that benefits this planet. Because major international climate change cooperation and agreement face challenges in their application and states aren’t committed to fully implementing them.

 In fact, climate change indicates long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Although several factors could be taken into account for climate change, since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas that increase heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in the Earth’s atmosphere. Enhancing greenhouse gas emissions from human activity act like a blanket wrapped around the earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures. Examples of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane.

 The last five years, for some parts of East Africa, have been the hottest year. The consequences of this include intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, and declining biodiversity. The people who are already more vulnerable to climate impacts have faced the health of humans, the ability to grow food, housing, safety, and work. Despite various efforts including the Green Legacy Initiative, Ethiopia, which is part of East Africa, has been affected by climate change effects. Cognizant of this, the country launched the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) to harmonize development with climate change.

LT-LEDS launched in the presence of senior federal and regional government officials, key development partners, funding agencies, diplomatic corps and climate change advocates, and other guests. It is to be recalled that the government of Ethiopia showcased the LT-LEDS strategy at the COP27 hosted in Sharm El-sheikh, Egypt from November 6-20, 2022.  Furthermore, LT-LEDS is a development strategy that needs to be integrated with climate change. The main climate interventions of this strategy contain forestry, energy, livestock, agriculture, waste sector, and industrial products and process used. Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS strategy is helpful to further strengthen ongoing development activities by dealing with the impact of climate change, activating climate policy, and green development strategy. It is also imperative to implement activities that reduce carbon emissions provided that continues financial support is available.

 It is obvious that the financial requirement to meet global climate change is now mounting and some 5.8 trillion USD is needed. For Ethiopia, to reach the net-zero targets in 2050, the total investment requirements of the LT-LEDS actions are estimated to be at least around 157 billion USD.  Climate change is changing its nature and expanding its scope, challenging the existence of human beings. Therefore, Ethiopia has experienced one of the worst droughts in the last 40 years, which has hurt its overall economic development. Ethiopian Minister of Planning and Development Fitsum Assefa (PhD) said that the country is implementing Climate Resilience and Green Economy Strategy with a view to overcoming climate change-related challenges. Especially, LT-LEDS firmly aligns with the national long-term development objectives and initiatives including the 10 year prospective development plans of Ethiopia (2021-2030). Among a few countries, Ethiopia has submitted its revised nationally determined contributions to the UN.

 Climate change has been distorting the livelihoods of people across the globe noting that countries of the world are working to mitigate the challenges of climate change by reaching an agreement to limit the amount of temperature to not more than 1.2 degree centigrade. In this regard, Ethiopia is implementing Climate Resilience and Green Economy Strategy with a view to overcoming climate change-related challenges, she stated.  Ethiopia has implemented more than 200 climate change rehabilitation projects. When the LT-LEDS is fully implemented, Ethiopia’s GDP will increase by 66% compared to the current growth in the coming 35 years.

Besides, Ethiopia is committed to working with partners in the implementation of the strategy.  The problem of climate change andenvironmental pollution facing is not solved by a single or few countries or organizations. Hence, the launching of LT-LEDS showed Ethiopia’s commitment to climate change adaptation, she added.Indeed, Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS strategy has been developed in tune with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change adopted in 2015 which encouraged countries to provide a roadmap for long-term de-carbonization to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature.

 So, the country’s revised and most ambitious National Determined Contributions to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, aims at an emission reduction target of 68.8% by 2030. The overarching objective of Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS strategy is to help the government of Ethiopia to pursue a green growth pathway by keeping its carbon emissions target to net zero by 2050 entailing an increased climate resilience and delivery of multiple economic and social benefits.  Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen stated that climate change negatively affects the livelihood of the people. The multiple challenges including drought, flood, and other calamities witnessed over the years are due to the impact of climate change. As a result, Ethiopia is implementing various green economy activities to withstand the challenges.

Several efforts are underway to expand green diplomacy will continue not only for neighboring countries but also at the continent level. It’s high time to come together and exert maximum efforts to overcome the challenges and called on partners to support Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS strategy, he stressed.  According to Dr. Fitsum, if LT-LEDS is implemented as planned, it will benefit Ethiopia as 66 percent higher GDP will be ensured in 2050 compared to the business as usual and over 865 thousand additional green jobs will be created every year. Moreover, some 200 million tons of crop losses will be prevented and 41 billion USD in average savings will be earned from energy costs among others.

In general, LT-LEDS will help to ensure sustainable development and make Ethiopia a symbol of Africa. The total investment requirements of the LT-LEDS actions are estimated to be at least around 157 billion USD and Ethiopia requires financial and technical support to implement and requested the internal community for support. Therefore, the international community should provide financial support for Ethiopia’s commitment to climate change adaptation.

 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 21 MAY 2023

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