By Jane Chanda
Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha says the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) failed to deliver on its promise of securing significant climate finance for developing countries.
The minister said, despite the high expectations, COP29 only managed to mobilise $300 billion, a paltry sum compared to the estimated $1.3 trillion required annually by developing countries to finance their climate actions.
Speaking at the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment post- COP29 media briefing at Taj pamodzi Lusaka yesterday, Mposha emphasised that the lack of adequate funding would hinder developing countries’ ability to implement effective climate adaptation and mitigation measures, exacerbating the already devastating impacts of climate change.
He noted that the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2024 Adaptation Gap Report estimated that developing countries required $387 billion annually to implement their climate action plans between 2020 and 2030.
“The report emphasised that tackling the intensifying impacts of climate change required trillions, not billions, of dollars,” Mposha said.
Mposha also highlighted that the conference’s inability to mobilise sufficient funds to support developing countries in their climate actions was a significant setback in the global effort to combat climate change, stressing that it was crucial to build on the momentum from COP29 and ensure that climate finance was mobilised to support developing countries in their climate action efforts.
The Minister further explained that the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, which was a key agenda item at COP29, aimed to mobilise resources from developed countries to support developing countries in their mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage programs. However, the conference failed to establish a clear and ambitious NCQG, which was a major disappointment for developing countries.
“The failure of COP29 to deliver on climate finance has significant implications for Zambia, and it is essential that we continue to push for increased climate finance to support our Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans,” Mposha said.
Meanwhile, Director of the Meteorological Department Edson Nkonde warned that Zambia is expected to experience a heatwave in the coming days due to a low-pressure system that is suppressing rainfall and allowing direct sunlight to increase temperatures.
Nkonde advised farmers to follow regular updates from the meteorological department to plan their activities accordingly.
“It’s very important because it may happen that we receive most of these rains before the end of December, so we are urging the users of this information to get the necessary updates before you decide anything, especially on the farming aspect,” said Nkonde.
