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Head of State and Government and Commander in Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is set to address UN Climate Change Conference COP 27 today.
The President will today address the Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Summit at the UN Climate Change Conference COP 27.Yesterday, the President joined fellow world leaders at the official opening of the two-day summit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
This two-day summit, is the first part of the high-level segment for Heads of State and Government, was also attended by the UN secretary-general António Guterres.
Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu the Environment Tourism and Climate Minister , said the President will, in today’s address, outline the country’s position and also share the Government’s efforts in combating climate change.
“We are happy to have received the President and for his powerful message on the country’s position heading to COP 27 that was published in the media back home. We expect him to make his speech on Tuesday between 9 and 10am,” said Minister Ndlovu.
“Our President has been leading in committing national resources for adaptation where communities are now being empowered to live in the era of climate change where we are now doing irrigation schemes and nutrition gardens as part of adaptation efforts.”
President Mnangagwa will attend a high-level meeting hosted by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan after today’s address.
President Mnangagwa is accompanied at the conference by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Frederick Shava, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira and Energy Minister Soda Zhemu among other senior government officials.
Speaking during the official opening, President El-Sisi called for concerted efforts to fight climate change saying poor nations have borne the most brunt of its effects.
“The intensity and frequency of climate disasters have never been higher, in all four corners of the world, bringing wave after wave of suffering for billions of people. Is it not high time today to put an end to this suffering?” he said.
UN SG Guterres said the conference is a reminder that the answer to climate change lies “in our hands.”
“And the clock is ticking. We are in the fight of our lives. And we are losing. Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing. Global temperatures keep rising. And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator,” said the UN secretary-general.
“So human action must be the solution. Action to re-establish ambition. And action to rebuild trust – especially between North and South. The science is clear: any hope of limiting temperature rise to 1,5 degrees means achieving global net zero emissions by 2050.
“But that 1,5-degree goal is on life support — and the machines are rattling. We are getting dangerously close to the point of no return. And to avoid that dire fate, all G20 countries must accelerate their transition now — in this decade. Developed countries must take the lead. But emerging economies are also critical to bending the global emissions curve.”
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