COP26: ERA/FoEN urges African countries to demand climate change liability

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), has called on African governments and delegates for the Earth Summit meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP26) in Glasgow to be resolute in their demand for climate change liability and payments for carbon debts by rich countries.

Godwin Uyi Ojo, executive director, ERA/FoEN, in a statement made available to newsmen, who said the conference will commence on Sunday, October 31, 2021, noted that the pledge to mobilizing $100 billion annually by 2020-2025 as funds to addressing climate change actions stands at about 30 percent, and is nowhere near what is needed to address the change.

Ojo urged African governments and delegates to be a rallying moment for rich counties to step up their commitments and show solidarity by walking the talk and putting their money where their mouth is.

“African delegates should ensure to speak with one voice to demand transitional justice in the payment of carbon debts currently put at 334 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

Read also: COP26 Climate Change: Developed countries to mobilise $100bn yearly

“A recent study, the world’s leading polluters have racked up a $10 trillion carbon debt for carbon dioxide emissions since 1990. This demand for carbon debt payment is sacrosanct and does not deflect from the US$100 billion commitment for climate actions.

“In recent times, rich countries showed some appreciable effort to address climate change with a few countries such as the USA, Germany and the United Kingdom taking the lead in renewed pledges to the UNFCCC climate fund to address mitigation and adaptation measures in developing countries.

“Rich countries’ efforts so far have grossly fallen short of expectations and are unlikely to be on target to close the gap on limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“A recent UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report warns that unless global greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.6 percent each year between 2020 and 2030, the world will miss the opportunity to get on track towards the 1.5°C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement”, he said.

He noted that the Earth Summit meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP26) provides an opportunity to amplify system change and a transition from a carbonized economy and fossil fuels dependence to renewable energy.

According to him, developing countries should redouble their stand to demand a fair, just, and equitable energy transition and climate finance to address climate change.

While describing the future ban or elimination of combustion engines production and use in some European countries from 2025 onwards as commendable, he appealed to the developed countries to be clear on how the obsolete technologies, cars and combustion engines will be disposed of or recycled.

Ojo, however, urged that Africa should not be the dumping ground or receptacle for such technologies that could be shipped to it as Greek gifts or forms of development aid.