Staff Writer
Zimbabwe and the Africa Group will use the upcoming Conference of Parties (COP29) climate summit to reiterate the need for developed countries to increase their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an official has revealed.
Acting permanent secretary for Environment, Climate and Wildlife Washington Zhakata emphasised the importance of developed countries fulfilling their commitments under the Paris Agreement, including through the UN-led global compliance market under Article 6.
Speaking at the Pre-COP29 Technical Workshop, Zhakata said Zimbabwe, a developing country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, is also calling for increased resources and technology to help mitigate and adapt to these effects.
“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,” he said.
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.
Zhakata said this means that loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change will continue for the foreseeable future.
“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.
COP29 will focus on climate finance, carbon markets, loss and damage, adaptation, agriculture and food security, just energy transition, and mitigation.
Zimbabwe is preparing a draft position paper that will be presented for input at the upcoming National Climate Change Conference.
Zhakata stressed the importance of aligning Zimbabwe’s climate change efforts with its national development aspirations as outlined in Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
“Emissions reductions should go alongside economic development, green industrialisation, infrastructure enhancement, climate-smart agriculture and efforts towards poverty reduction,” Zhakata said.
He said attending COP29 is a significant opportunity for Zimbabwe to contribute to the global discourse on climate change and development while promoting its national agenda and mobilising international climate finance.
The southern African nation is seeking to strengthen resilience, tackle climate change, and provide economic opportunities through the adoption of greener technologies.
