As chairperson of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Malawi’s group on climate change will host a two-day strategy meeting from Tuesday and Wednesday in Blantyre.
The meeting, which brings together climate negotiators and government officials from the LDCs, aims at reflecting on the outcome of the United Nations Conference of Parties on Climate Change (CoP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2024 and lay out strategies to ensure that the needs of vulnerable nations are fully addressed at the CoP30 in Brazil this year.
In an interview on Saturday, the group’s chairperson Evans Njewa said it was time for the 45-member country group to ensure priorities are synchronised and clear ahead of CoP30.
He said: “We will deliberate on how to access the $300 billion in annual climate finance and explore modalities for finalising the roadmap to mobilise $1.3 trillion in climate funding.
“We will also look into unlocking timely and effective support from the newly operational fund for responding to loss and damage.”
Njewa, who is also head of climate change management division in Malawi, said as the effects of climate change worsen, affected countries should push for climate action to build resilience for sustainable development.
Coordination Union for the Rehabilitation of the Environment executive director Charles Mkoka said LDCs should build coherence for progress in the light of shifting global geopolitical dynamics that impact climate finance.
“This meeting is for Africa and other LDCs to integrate loss and damage priorities into Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans to strengthen negotiating position at CoP30 and beyond,” he said.
