Late Prime Minister Meles legacy in building Climate Resilient Green Economy in Ethiopia, Africa
BY WORKU BELACEW
The premier was Africa's notable spokesperson. His representations among other African peers on G-8 and G-20 summits has brought a concrete and successful achievement, thereby developed countries start to give attention to the long forgotten larger Continent, Africa, and its people. Thanks to his legacy and wonderful arguments, today Africa is building its capacity to mitigate the effects of global climate change through sustaining climate resilient green economy. He also put Ethiopia at the forefront of this effort to set exemplary deeds for the rest of countries of the continent.
“As we discuss Africa's specific expectations from the climate change negotiations, we need to highlight what is often taken for granted and is thus often missed. Our interest is not to claim compensation for climate change and its damages. Our interest is to prevent that from happening in the first instance. That is our primary interest precisely because Africa's eco-systems are amongst the most fragile in the world and hence highly vulnerable to catastrophic changes due to small changes in temperature. It makes no sense to us for someone to make large parts of our continent unlivable and then pay some compensation for doing so. We understand that a certain degree of global warming is already happening and increase in global temperatures of about 20c are practically unavoidable. We will have to live with that because we do not seem to have any other option. We will live with the damage caused by the unavoidable levels of global warming and seek compensation and assistance to limit the damage. What we are not prepared to live with is global warming above the minimum unavoidable level. We will therefore never accept any global deal that does not limit global warming to the minimum unavoidable level, no matter what levels of compensation and assistance are promised to us...Africa will squarely and unequivocally side with those who are committed to limit global warming to the unavoidable minimum level,” argued the late Mr. Meles Zenawi regarding the climatic variability that is affecting Africa on 03 September 2009 at the summit of Africa Partner Ship forum in Addis Ababa.
He went on to say, “I am sure you will agree with me that we Africans have contributed virtually nothing to global warming and there is precious little that we can do to curb it. But we have no intention to free ride. We want to keep our forests intact and re-afforest those that have over the years been degraded. We want to do so precisely because such an approach is economically more rewarding and sustainable. We want to quickly adopt green technologies among other things because we do not have the dead weight of massive investment in dirty technologies. Africa is a green field for investment because it is the least developed region in the world. By partnering with us on green development, the developed world could create a more robust market and overall environment for the mitigation efforts that it alone must shoulder. In other words Africa wants to be part of the solution even on matters of mitigation if it is enabled and assisted to do so.”
The victimization of African people, despite their little contribution in carbon emission, has got due attention from developed countries as the voice of Africa is heard loud due to Meles' efforts. His deep concern as Africa should mitigate global climate variability was with sound reasons. For instance, he mentioned as the threat will cripple the continent’s vulnerable agricultural sector, on which 70% of the population depends. All estimates of the possible impact of global warming suggest that a large part of the continent will become drier, and that the continent as a whole will experience greater climatic variability. “We know what the impact of periodic droughts have been on the lives of tens of millions of Africans. We can therefore imagine what the impact of a drier climate on agriculture is likely to be. Conditions in this vital economic sector will become even more precarious than they currently are.” quoted from his famous arguments.
Africa will not only be hit hardest, but it will be hit first. Indeed, the long dreaded impact of climate change is already upon us. The current drought covering much of east Africa – far more severe than past droughts – has been directly associated with climate change, indeed.
Meles turned this global adversity to an opportunity for developing countries like Africa and laid the corner stone by boldly demanding developed countries to be morally obliged to pay partial compensation to poor and vulnerable countries and regions to cover part of the cost of the investments needed to adapt to climate change.
In February 2010, the UN named Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as co-chair of the Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing, a new high-level U.N. advisory group on climate change financing. Following his passing away united nations environment programme (UNEP) also said that “Prime Minister Meles Zenawi contributed to leading Africa's active engagement in the UN climate change negotiations in his role as Chair of the Meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change. His efforts in mobilizing Africa's voice on climate change are a clear example of his legacy in advancing Pan-Africanism through intergovernmental processes and dialogue.”
Starting up green economy from Ethiopia
Meles shouldered the responsibility to fight on behalf of the continent Africa in 1992 shortly After he came to power at the Lem (or Green) Meeting in Addis Ababa, held in conjunction with the UN’s first ‘Earth Summit’ in Brazil. Mr Meles championed sustainable development in Africa, fought for Africa on climate change and was a leader in Africa’s green thinking. A major influence on US president Bill Clinton’s “New Africa”, for the past 20 years Ethiopia has played a pioneering role in environmental research, management and development combined with historic experiments in ethnic federalism and democracy. In 2011 Ethiopia was the first African country to launch a Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy.
The late Meles was not only the champion of the environment, who believed that Africa needed to embrace a low-carbon, resource-efficient green economy as the central pathway to sustainable development under his leadership, he also made Ethiopia to develop a comprehensive Climate Resilient and Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy, which has the goal of transforming the country into a carbon-neutral middle income country by 2025. In this regard he realized his ambition in Ethiopia working rigorously in gearing the countries rapid development towards a green economy. Since February 2011, the CRGE initiative, under the leadership of the Prime
Minister’s Office, Environmental Protection Authority, and the Ethiopian Development Research Institute, has developed a strategy to build a green economy. Seven sectoral teams involving more than 50 experts from more than 20 leading government institutions have been driving the initiative. The objective is to identify green economy opportunities that could help Ethiopia reach its ambitious,yet achievable, growth targets while keeping greenhouse gas emissions low. Though the strategy primarily depended on local funding for its achievements a commendable results are also brought in pulling development partners to aid the program.
Thanks to his own initiatives Ethiopia has played a key role in UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign, planting a total of 1.7 billion trees since early 2007. Some 12.6 billion trees have been planted worldwide in 193 countries, with Ethiopia's contribution the third-largest behind India and China. This has led Ethiopia to re-afforest and rehabilitate its degraded lands. As Ethiopia is the leading in livestock production both in Africa and at a global level, the country now sees to focus on reducing emissions by more than 15 Mt CO2e in 2030 through utlizing less emitting a partial shift towards lower-emitting sources of protein –
e.g., poultry – could yield another emission reduction of nearly the mechanization of draft power, i.e., the introduction
of mechanical equipment for ploughing/tillage, could help to substitute
and the likes.
It is clear the country's power sources are for long time less emitting as it depended on hydro-power but under Mele's initiative many mega same projects has undergone or are under going include wind farm, geothermal and solar power. This in turn is employed to reduce emission through using less fossil fuel transportation like shifting to electric rail networks.
His sudden and untimely death is shocking to the people of Ethiopia, Africa and all his partners. But,as his ambitions are translated into practicality the footprint of his legacy will be continued through high commitment of the people of Ethiopia, Africa and all development partners. His iconic deeds will remain in the mind of all people and Africa would go further to build green economy and mitigate the global thereat, climatic variability, the already started progresses will be maintained and will be further strengthened more than ever.
BY WORKU BELACEW
The premier was Africa's notable spokesperson. His representations among other African peers on G-8 and G-20 summits has brought a concrete and successful achievement, thereby developed countries start to give attention to the long forgotten larger Continent, Africa, and its people. Thanks to his legacy and wonderful arguments, today Africa is building its capacity to mitigate the effects of global climate change through sustaining climate resilient green economy. He also put Ethiopia at the forefront of this effort to set exemplary deeds for the rest of countries of the continent.
“As we discuss Africa's specific expectations from the climate change negotiations, we need to highlight what is often taken for granted and is thus often missed. Our interest is not to claim compensation for climate change and its damages. Our interest is to prevent that from happening in the first instance. That is our primary interest precisely because Africa's eco-systems are amongst the most fragile in the world and hence highly vulnerable to catastrophic changes due to small changes in temperature. It makes no sense to us for someone to make large parts of our continent unlivable and then pay some compensation for doing so. We understand that a certain degree of global warming is already happening and increase in global temperatures of about 20c are practically unavoidable. We will have to live with that because we do not seem to have any other option. We will live with the damage caused by the unavoidable levels of global warming and seek compensation and assistance to limit the damage. What we are not prepared to live with is global warming above the minimum unavoidable level. We will therefore never accept any global deal that does not limit global warming to the minimum unavoidable level, no matter what levels of compensation and assistance are promised to us...Africa will squarely and unequivocally side with those who are committed to limit global warming to the unavoidable minimum level,” argued the late Mr. Meles Zenawi regarding the climatic variability that is affecting Africa on 03 September 2009 at the summit of Africa Partner Ship forum in Addis Ababa.
He went on to say, “I am sure you will agree with me that we Africans have contributed virtually nothing to global warming and there is precious little that we can do to curb it. But we have no intention to free ride. We want to keep our forests intact and re-afforest those that have over the years been degraded. We want to do so precisely because such an approach is economically more rewarding and sustainable. We want to quickly adopt green technologies among other things because we do not have the dead weight of massive investment in dirty technologies. Africa is a green field for investment because it is the least developed region in the world. By partnering with us on green development, the developed world could create a more robust market and overall environment for the mitigation efforts that it alone must shoulder. In other words Africa wants to be part of the solution even on matters of mitigation if it is enabled and assisted to do so.”
The victimization of African people, despite their little contribution in carbon emission, has got due attention from developed countries as the voice of Africa is heard loud due to Meles' efforts. His deep concern as Africa should mitigate global climate variability was with sound reasons. For instance, he mentioned as the threat will cripple the continent’s vulnerable agricultural sector, on which 70% of the population depends. All estimates of the possible impact of global warming suggest that a large part of the continent will become drier, and that the continent as a whole will experience greater climatic variability. “We know what the impact of periodic droughts have been on the lives of tens of millions of Africans. We can therefore imagine what the impact of a drier climate on agriculture is likely to be. Conditions in this vital economic sector will become even more precarious than they currently are.” quoted from his famous arguments.
Africa will not only be hit hardest, but it will be hit first. Indeed, the long dreaded impact of climate change is already upon us. The current drought covering much of east Africa – far more severe than past droughts – has been directly associated with climate change, indeed.
Meles turned this global adversity to an opportunity for developing countries like Africa and laid the corner stone by boldly demanding developed countries to be morally obliged to pay partial compensation to poor and vulnerable countries and regions to cover part of the cost of the investments needed to adapt to climate change.
In February 2010, the UN named Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as co-chair of the Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing, a new high-level U.N. advisory group on climate change financing. Following his passing away united nations environment programme (UNEP) also said that “Prime Minister Meles Zenawi contributed to leading Africa's active engagement in the UN climate change negotiations in his role as Chair of the Meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change. His efforts in mobilizing Africa's voice on climate change are a clear example of his legacy in advancing Pan-Africanism through intergovernmental processes and dialogue.”
Starting up green economy from Ethiopia
Meles shouldered the responsibility to fight on behalf of the continent Africa in 1992 shortly After he came to power at the Lem (or Green) Meeting in Addis Ababa, held in conjunction with the UN’s first ‘Earth Summit’ in Brazil. Mr Meles championed sustainable development in Africa, fought for Africa on climate change and was a leader in Africa’s green thinking. A major influence on US president Bill Clinton’s “New Africa”, for the past 20 years Ethiopia has played a pioneering role in environmental research, management and development combined with historic experiments in ethnic federalism and democracy. In 2011 Ethiopia was the first African country to launch a Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy.
The late Meles was not only the champion of the environment, who believed that Africa needed to embrace a low-carbon, resource-efficient green economy as the central pathway to sustainable development under his leadership, he also made Ethiopia to develop a comprehensive Climate Resilient and Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy, which has the goal of transforming the country into a carbon-neutral middle income country by 2025. In this regard he realized his ambition in Ethiopia working rigorously in gearing the countries rapid development towards a green economy. Since February 2011, the CRGE initiative, under the leadership of the Prime
Minister’s Office, Environmental Protection Authority, and the Ethiopian Development Research Institute, has developed a strategy to build a green economy. Seven sectoral teams involving more than 50 experts from more than 20 leading government institutions have been driving the initiative. The objective is to identify green economy opportunities that could help Ethiopia reach its ambitious,yet achievable, growth targets while keeping greenhouse gas emissions low. Though the strategy primarily depended on local funding for its achievements a commendable results are also brought in pulling development partners to aid the program.
Thanks to his own initiatives Ethiopia has played a key role in UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign, planting a total of 1.7 billion trees since early 2007. Some 12.6 billion trees have been planted worldwide in 193 countries, with Ethiopia's contribution the third-largest behind India and China. This has led Ethiopia to re-afforest and rehabilitate its degraded lands. As Ethiopia is the leading in livestock production both in Africa and at a global level, the country now sees to focus on reducing emissions by more than 15 Mt CO2e in 2030 through utlizing less emitting a partial shift towards lower-emitting sources of protein –
e.g., poultry – could yield another emission reduction of nearly the mechanization of draft power, i.e., the introduction
of mechanical equipment for ploughing/tillage, could help to substitute
and the likes.
It is clear the country's power sources are for long time less emitting as it depended on hydro-power but under Mele's initiative many mega same projects has undergone or are under going include wind farm, geothermal and solar power. This in turn is employed to reduce emission through using less fossil fuel transportation like shifting to electric rail networks.
His sudden and untimely death is shocking to the people of Ethiopia, Africa and all his partners. But,as his ambitions are translated into practicality the footprint of his legacy will be continued through high commitment of the people of Ethiopia, Africa and all development partners. His iconic deeds will remain in the mind of all people and Africa would go further to build green economy and mitigate the global thereat, climatic variability, the already started progresses will be maintained and will be further strengthened more than ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment