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Guterres calls for global support

for Africa’s climate efforts

GLOBAL UN Secretary-General António Guterres has “It is achievable. It is necessary. It is overdue.
called for all countries to support Africa’s efforts And it is smart: climate action is a $3 trillion
to limit the effects of climate change and to invest investment opportunity in Africa by 2030,” he
$100bn in the continent’s green energy industry. added.
He said that support for climate adaptation However, he pointed to “the major finance”
in Africa was crucial and urged greater action to gap blocking progress towards this goal. He
provide renewable energy to hundreds of mil- urged developed countries to deliver on their
lions who still lack access to electricity. $100bn climate commitment made over a dec-
“As the continent that has contributed least ade ago.
to the climate crisis, Africa deserves the strong- “Developed countries and main financers
est possible support and solidarity,” he said at must ensure a swift shift of the billions to support
an African Development Bank (AfDB) hosted African green investments, to increase resilience
online forum. and to create the conditions for scaled-up private
Guterres warned that “adaptation must not be finance”, he said.
the neglected half of the climate equation”. “And the private sector must step up and get
Although Africa has abundant and untapped organised to provide immediate, concrete solu-
renewable resources, it has received just 2% of tions to governments. Local authorities can work
global investment in renewable energy over the with unions and community leaders on reskill-
past decade, he said. ing and social security nets.”
Old models of development and energy use While African governments also can lead the
have failed to provide Africans with universal way by committing to ambitious adaptation and
energy access, he said, meaning hundreds of mitigation plans, they first need to regain their
millions of people still lack reliable and afforda- fiscal autonomy, he said.
ble electricity or are cooking with polluting and He also called for debt moratoria for devel-
harmful fuels. oping countries and cancelling debts where
“We can provide universal access to energy in appropriate.
Africa primarily through renewable energy. I call Furthermore, Special Drawing Rights
for a comprehensive package of support to meet (SDRs), a type of supplementary foreign reserve
this objective ahead of COP26,” Guterres said, maintained by the International Monetary Fund
referring to the UN climate change conference (IMF), must also be made available to support
in November. Africa’s recovery.™

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