African leaders pressure global leaders to implement COP26 promises

Sharm El-Sheikh - African heads of state and other policymakers are gathering at the UN's COP27 Climate Forum taking place at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh -Egypt.

The two weeks forum will see African leaders drive the need for the developed nations honour the COP26 promises which are around the reduction of emissions and financial backing from rich states.

Kenya’s president Dr. William Rut who is also the chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change is expected to lead Africa’s interest.

According to State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed “The President is expected to rally the globe towards more ambitious climate action, seeking implementation and honouring of commitments made over the past 30 years by countries with the greatest responsibilities for accumulating greenhouse gases causing global warming.

He will also be outlining Kenya’s policies and strategies to tap into the global carbon market. Among other interventions, including securing and protecting public forests, the President has already announced an ambitious reforestation program to grow at least 15 billion trees in the next 10 years to ensure Kenya attains 30% tree cover by 2032.” reads State House’s Press statement.

The COP27 forum comes as the world battles Climate Change that continues to create havoc.

During the opening ceremony on Sunday, COP27 officials called upon governments to keep up efforts to combat Climate Change despite the economic turbulence.

Simon Stiell-United Nations Climate Change official told a news conference. “We must reduce greenhouse emissions 45 percent by 2030 to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above late-19th-century levels.”

Carbon pollution has gone up by 10 percent over the last decade and it also impacted the Earth's surface heat up 2.8C.

Currently out of 194 countries, only 29 have presented improved climate plans, as called for at the UN talks in Glasgow last year.

Some 110 heads of state and government are expected to participate in two days of talks, with the notable absence of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, whose country is the world's top emitter of greenhouse gases.

US President Joe Biden, whose country ranks second on the top-polluters list, will join COP27 later this week after midterm elections on Tuesday which could put Republicans hostile to international action on climate change in charge of Congress.

The United States and the European Union have dragged their feet on the issue for years, fearing it would create an open-ended reparations framework.

The promise is already two years past due and remains $17 billion short, according to the OECD. COP27 is scheduled to continue until November 18 with ministerial meetings.

GAROWE ONLINE