Namibia one of the hardest hit by climate change - Shifeta
Climate action urgent
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta has called on developed nations to honour their responsibilities and commitments towards mitigating the impact of climate change.
As the world grapples with rising temperatures, Namibia is one of the hardest-hit countries by the impacts of climate change.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said this on Monday at the 2024 annual high-level ministerial round-table on the pre-2030 ambition at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
This is the second week of the global climate meeting, which is taking place from 11 to 22 November.
The high-level meeting provides a unique opportunity for countries to share their views on the priorities they wish to see reflected in the mitigation outcome from COP29.
“We are deeply anxious about the variable climatic patterns, mainly floods and drought, and dependency on natural resources that exacerbate our vulnerabilities to climate change impacts," Shifeta said.
He highlighted that once again, everyone has been reminded of the urgency in achieving the climate actions outlined in the second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Consideration of a new collective quantified goal on climate finance will be mainstreamed, he said, in ensuring that the pre-2030 ambition is achieved to deliver a holistic sustainable development and an inclusive process that delivers inclusive outcomes at the global level.
Priority goals
Shifeta said that, building on the outcomes of the 28th Conference of the Parties last year, which concluded with the first global stocktake of the world’s efforts to address climate change under the Paris Agreement, he is satisfied to note the various global best practices aimed at fostering climate ambition.
This includes prioritising climate finance, access to technology and policy actions.
He reiterated Namibia's commitment to the convention and said the country will continue to advocate for a programme-based approach to the pre-2030 ambition, setting ambitious deadlines for achieving net-zero emissions and ensuring that the principle of inclusivity is adopted at all times.
“We need a balanced outcome and an outlook that takes into account the fact that without adequate mitigation actions, more adaptation actions will be needed to respond to the catastrophic impacts of climate change as temperatures continue to rise unabated," he said.
Compensations for damage
Shifeta underlined the need for private sector investment in climate-related projects aimed at stimulating climate action, but added: “We unreservedly restate that those who cause damage should pay us for the damage done more especially related to mitigation actions.”
He said technology transfer, capacity building and climate financial resources are the necessary enablers for developing countries to cope with or adapt to climate change.
“We cannot talk about meaningful climate action without the provision of adequate financial resources as outlined in the Paris Agreement," he stressed.
Shifeta praised developed countries honouring their responsibilities and called on other developed nations to follow suit.
“The much-needed support should be scaled up as a matter of urgency for the Paris Agreement objective to be achieved.”
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said this on Monday at the 2024 annual high-level ministerial round-table on the pre-2030 ambition at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
This is the second week of the global climate meeting, which is taking place from 11 to 22 November.
The high-level meeting provides a unique opportunity for countries to share their views on the priorities they wish to see reflected in the mitigation outcome from COP29.
“We are deeply anxious about the variable climatic patterns, mainly floods and drought, and dependency on natural resources that exacerbate our vulnerabilities to climate change impacts," Shifeta said.
He highlighted that once again, everyone has been reminded of the urgency in achieving the climate actions outlined in the second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Consideration of a new collective quantified goal on climate finance will be mainstreamed, he said, in ensuring that the pre-2030 ambition is achieved to deliver a holistic sustainable development and an inclusive process that delivers inclusive outcomes at the global level.
Priority goals
Shifeta said that, building on the outcomes of the 28th Conference of the Parties last year, which concluded with the first global stocktake of the world’s efforts to address climate change under the Paris Agreement, he is satisfied to note the various global best practices aimed at fostering climate ambition.
This includes prioritising climate finance, access to technology and policy actions.
He reiterated Namibia's commitment to the convention and said the country will continue to advocate for a programme-based approach to the pre-2030 ambition, setting ambitious deadlines for achieving net-zero emissions and ensuring that the principle of inclusivity is adopted at all times.
“We need a balanced outcome and an outlook that takes into account the fact that without adequate mitigation actions, more adaptation actions will be needed to respond to the catastrophic impacts of climate change as temperatures continue to rise unabated," he said.
Compensations for damage
Shifeta underlined the need for private sector investment in climate-related projects aimed at stimulating climate action, but added: “We unreservedly restate that those who cause damage should pay us for the damage done more especially related to mitigation actions.”
He said technology transfer, capacity building and climate financial resources are the necessary enablers for developing countries to cope with or adapt to climate change.
“We cannot talk about meaningful climate action without the provision of adequate financial resources as outlined in the Paris Agreement," he stressed.
Shifeta praised developed countries honouring their responsibilities and called on other developed nations to follow suit.
“The much-needed support should be scaled up as a matter of urgency for the Paris Agreement objective to be achieved.”
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