By Faridat Salifu
As the United Nations Climate Conference, COP28, approaches, countries most vulnerable to climate change are stressing the importance of advanced economies reducing carbon emissions, providing financial aid to vulnerable nations, and aiding in the transfer of green technologies to hasten global transition towards a sustainable economy.
This comes as hope emerged from recent discussions between the world’s leading polluters, the US and China, which indicated a potential breakthrough in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Addressing a press conference arranged by the coalition Allied for Climate Transformation by 2025 (ACT2025), Tony La Viña, associate director for Climate Policy and International Relations at the Manila Observatory in the Philippines, emphasized the urgent need for a transparent global assessment, acknowledging both successes and failures.
The coalition advocated for the representation of vulnerable countries’ climate priorities at the UN negotiations, where they call for developed nations to fulfill their climate finance commitments and intensify their climate goals.
With approximately half of the global population residing in climate-vulnerable countries, the need for action is further underscored by the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) November bulletin, which reported high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which is bound to perpetuate heat retention and exacerbate climate change for years to come.
Chukwumerije Okereke, Director of Nigeria’s Center for Climate Change and Development at Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, while speaking, stressed the urgency of addressing the intertwining issues of climate and health.
He highlighted increased instances of malaria and other health-related challenges as a result of changing weather patterns, particularly in Nigeria.
He said, this has prompted calls for increased focus on the adverse health impacts of climate change, with a dedicated day scheduled at COP28 to address these concerns.
Meanwhile, s study by the World Health Organization predicts direct health-related damage costs to reach US$2-4 billion annually by 2030 if greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed.
Related Posts
The reduction of these emissions could significantly benefit public health, particularly through decreased air pollution.
The meeting between climate envoys of the United States and China saw both parties recommit to addressing the pressing issue of climate change.
In the Sunnylands statement released after the meeting, the envoys emphasized implementing previous agreements, including the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
They also pledged to work towards curbing global average temperature increase to well below 2 degrees C and to strive towards limiting it to 1.5 degrees C.
Also, following a meeting between US President, Joe Biden and China’s President Xi Jingping, the White House announced that both leaders welcomed positive discussions between their special envoys for climate.
The discussions centered on reducing emissions in the 2020s and outlining a joint strategy for a successful COP28.
They also emphasized the operationalization of the Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s to expedite concrete climate actions.
Additionally, the US expressed willingness to collaborate with China on transnational challenges such as health security, debt, and climate finance in developing countries and emerging markets.
But despite these positive developments, Mark Bynoe, Assistant Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, has expressed concerns over the continued investment in oil and gas.
The International Monetary Fund estimated that fossil fuel subsidies have surged to $7 trillion, raising apprehensions about future trends in energy investments.
