By NATION REPORTER
COMMONWEALTH Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, has urged leaders and the international community to ramp up global support for greater climate finance commitments.
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Ms Scotland speaking at the Africa Climate Summit, taking place 4 to 6 September in Nairobi, Kenya called on the stakeholders to advocate actions that would unlock billions in climate finance to support vulnerable nations as well as improve access to those funds.
She said this included delivering on the annual commitment of US$100 billion in climate finance promised to developing nations since 2009, and the operationalisation of an inclusive and fit for purpose Loss and Damage Fund, which was agreed last year at COP27 to help vulnerable countries cope with the devastating impacts of climate change.
“I urge leaders, the international community, the private sector and civil society … together, we must all step up and drive this transformation. The means, and the solutions to realise our ambitions under the Paris Agreement, are already available to us. There is no excuse for a delay in action. Ignoring the consequences of inaction will hurt the most vulnerable the hardest, not to mention the generations that follow,” she said.
The Secretary General is scheduled to meet with various Heads of State from the region as well as world leaders, including the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, to advocate actions that would unlock billions in climate finance to support vulnerable nations, as well as improve access to those funds.
She said the vulnerable countries and populations in Africa were particularly exposed to the impacts of climate change, such as unpredictable weather patterns and more extreme weather, which affects millions of lives, livelihoods and homes.
The summit, being held under the theme ‘Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World’, is a critical juncture for the African continent to mobilise action in the lead up to the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in November.
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