LDCs want reduced greenhouse gases

Malawi joined other Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the African Group at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Warsaw, Poland last week,  urging developed nations to put forward ambitious targets for reduction of greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming.

The African Group last Sunday expressed dismay at the slow progress on the climate change negotiations meant to reduce emission levels, observing that there is no political will from developed countries.

“We propose that Parties (countries) to the 2015 agreement commit to reduce global anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases no later than 2020 and to reduce net global anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases to zero by 2050,” reads Malawi’s position, read by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Management Halima Daud at the High-Level segment meeting on Wednesday.

“Malawi calls on all Parties, in particular Annex I parties, to show political commitment, leadership and willingness to explore a range of options to increase the level of ambition for the pre-2020 period, while all Parties, should contribute to this global effort,” further reads the position paper.

Malawi’s call for action is also supported by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (Pacja) which called for climate justice during a march in Warsaw.

“The best agreement on Earth won’t make a difference without implementation in the real world. That’s why one of the clear outcomes in Warsaw must be the drastic scaling up of climate finance and technology transfer. Only if these commitments are met by Annex I parties can African governments really believe that the rich world plans to act in good faith on any future agreement,” said Mithika Mwenda, Pacja secretary general in a statement.

In its position paper presented at the 19th session of the Conference of Parties (CoP19) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Warsaw, it said the position taken are intended to maximise the country’s benefits on the matters currently being negotiated in the convention.

“It is expected that any accrued benefits will trickle down to the local communities who are most affected and yet least prepared to deal with the effects of climate change.

“Overall, the national positions articulated on the various climate change issues have, so far, been aligned with the positions of Sadc member States, African group, LDCs and other developing countries,” reads the position paper.

Malawi has also called upon the 19th Conference of the Parties to take decisions on continuity of climate finance during the period between 2013 and 2020 saying all developed countries should set out what climate finance they will provide over the period 2013-2015, and commit to a roadmap for scaling up global public climate finance to reach $100 billion per year by 2020.

“The Green Climate Fund (GCF) must not be left an empty shell. As such, pledges to the GCF are needed by the end of CoP19 at the latest,” reads the paper.