The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA/FoEN) has urged governments and delegates to CoP26 Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, to demand climate change liability and payments for carbon debts by rich countries.
Speaking with journalists in Benin, ERA’s executive director, Dr Godwin Uyi Ojo, said CoP26 is a wake-up call for African countries to push forward their demands.
He lamented that rich countries’ efforts so far have grossly fallen short of expectations and are unlikely to be on target to close the gap on limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees celsius.
He said: “A recent UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report warns that unless global greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.6 per cent each year between 2020 and 2030, the world will miss the opportunity to get on track towards the 1.5°C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement”.
According to him, in order to secure an ambitious outcome, there is the need to address the lack of equity and fairness in addressing climate change impacts.
“African delegates should ensure to speak with one voice to demand transitional justice in the payment of carbon debts currently put at 334 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
“According to a recent study, the world’s leading polluters have racked up a US$10 trillion carbon debt for carbon dioxide emissions since 1990.
“This demand for carbon debt payment is sacrosanct and does not deflect from the US$100 billion commitment for climate actions,” he said.
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