-
United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 -
View Photos
-
Related
Rich nations at the Copenhagen climate summit should commit $56
billion a year in new money to help Africa tackle the consequences
of global warming, the president of the African Development Bank
(AfDB) said.
Donald Kaberuka said he wanted to see a willingess by rich
countries to dig into their pockets to enable low-income countries
to adapt to climate change.
"Climate change is costing this continent almost three percent of
GDP (gross domestic product) per year. Now translate that into
numbers, the kind of things we need: about $56 billion a year," he
said.
Asked about the consequences for Africa of failure at the summit in
Denmark, he said: "We have no choice. An agreement is needed in
Copenhagen or soon thereafter."
"We are suffering already the effect of climate change so the idea
that somehow we can go to Copenhagen and expect no outcome is a
terrible one to think about," Kaberuka said at the AfDB's
headquarters in Tunis.
Negotiations began in the Danish capital between 190 countries on a
treaty designed to curb emissions of greenhouse gases and combat
the effects of climate change, including rising seas,
desertification and floods.
African leaders say their continent has been hit particularly hard
by climate change - and stands to suffer more if it continues
unchecked - because of the fragility of many African
economies.
Kaberuka said Africa would spend the $56 billion a year on helping
countries adapt to climate change, on energy sources that are low
on harmful emissions, and on measures like preserving forests to
help absorb excess carbon dioxide.
He said he also wanted the Copenhagen summit to lead to an
ambitious agreement on cutting global emissions, and the creation
of a governance structure to monitor countries' compliance with
emissions targets and aid commitments.
Social justice
"For us the issues of climate are issues of development, you cannot
disassociate the two because we are living at such a margin in
terms of development, the level of fragility of vulnerable
economies, that even small changes in temperature take us almost
over the brink," said Kaberuka.
"We need ambition not only to save the planet from additional
emissions, but an ambition for social justice which enables African
children to have hope for the future."
Kaberuka said he shared the concern expressed by some
non-governmental aid groups that money earmarked by rich nations at
Copenhagen for climate change aid could be old cash recycled from
existing aid pledges.
"That is my biggest fear," he said.
"It should be new money, it should be additional... If we simply
repackage and do some creative accounting and say, 'Here's new
money for the climate,' that is no good for the world."
The AfDB president said he expected Africa's economy, hit hard by
the global slowdown, to bounce back, with a projected GDP growth in
2010 of between 5.5 and six percent.
But he said the impact of climate change was the elephant in the
room which could jeopardise Africa's return to strong economic
growth.
The AfDB, whose shareholders include Africa's 53 nations and 24
non-African donor countries, will lend about $13 billion to African
governments and companies this year. Much of its lending to poorer
countries is at concessionary rates, largely financed by Western
donors.
What are your views of the climate summit taking place in Copenhagen? Comment below....
Add a Comment:
Post new commentscambreaker said on 2009-12-21 @ 09:40 NZDT: Report abusive post
The north and south polar ice caps on Mars have been shrinking for years. This is due to greater output of heat from the Sun, or perhaps the Martians have started up a whole lot of new industry there belching out CO2 from their chimneys. The Sun had thousands of sun-spots, now it has only a handful. Sun-spots are areas where there is reduced output radiation, so now there is more heat coming from the Sun.This has been the case for the last 17 years.
scambreaker said on 2009-12-19 @ 20:26 NZDT: Report abusive post
How arrogant! To say that mankind will hold the atmospheric temperature to no greater than a 2 degree rise !! The Earths magnetic field is diminishing. The only reason the Vanallen belt is in place is by virtue of the Earths magnetic field. As this reduces, the Vanallen belt thins, thus letting in more Sun radiation. As the oceans then warm, they absorb less CO2. Increased CO2 levels FOLLOWS atmospheric warming, it does not PRECEDE it! Tuvalu is sinking, not the sea rising!!
marthur said on 2009-12-19 @ 19:02 NZDT: Report abusive post
This deal is no where enough. It allows the short sighted people to again put off the most important decision we need to make. It will be too late if we are not careful. We are already following the worst case scenario from the IPCC. The short sightedness of these leaders is incredible, our own included.
Zen said on 2009-12-19 @ 18:26 NZDT: Report abusive post
wow acting like we can controll the temprature on the planet earth what a totally insane idea, are they going to build a big umbrella to block the sun?
katedye said on 2009-12-08 @ 20:44 NZDT: Report abusive post
Africa should be accountable for itself. huge amounts of money are poured into that continent, yet genocide and official embezzlement and corruption continues. Small countries that are nearly bankrupted themselves by immigrant dependancy, e.g. NZ, should not be leading the way in sacrifice, like carbon trading, to help other countries. NZ should be regulating its own offenders for pollution. Enforcing clean air, clean water industry in NZ. Standards not money is the solution kiwis.