The Herald
Nduduzo Tshuma in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said concerted efforts and not finger-pointing will go a long way in mitigating the impact of climate change.
Speaking during a high-level engagement on Africa’s resilience to climate change hosted by his Botswana counterpart President Masisi on the sidelines of the Cop27 conference, President Mnangagwa said the attitude of casting a blind eye when one region is facing challenges should stop as climate change affects everyone.
The engagement, held under the theme: “Empowering a Climate Resilient Africa for the 21st Century: Articulating vision and opportunity”, was also attended by the President of Estonia Alar Karis and the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Inger Andersen.
Representatives of global corporates like Google, IBM, Volvo Trucks and Philips among others, the African Development Bank and civil society organisations also attended the event.
President Mnangagwa said instead of trading accusations on who has contributed the most to the effects of climate change, “we must accept that this has happened, let us look forward into the future and say what can we do together, the big and small.”
He said African leaders have become more aware of the need to address climate change.
“We are fully aware that we are at the receiving end, the contributions to the problems of climate change are more foreign than they are domestic. However, we feel we have equal duty like the rest of the world to mitigate the impact of climate change,” said the President.
“As we come here to COP27 after last year’s conference, many commitments were made but less has been achieved and it is necessary that we all commit ourselves to the policies which we make. Us in our region, despite the fact that our contribution to this challenge is minimum, we need to do our best to what we have committed ourselves.”
President Mnangagwa said food security is critical in Africa which has been affected by climate change through floods, low rainfall and successive droughts.
He said the continent was working towards boosting food security through smart and climate-proofing methods, and the construction of dams to conserve water for irrigation among other initiatives.
“But to do so we also need support from the West and developed countries to achieve those goals. We need to promote science and technology in our investment in order for the next generation to be fully aware of the impact of climate change.
“We in the Third World need to leapfrog in our development but to do so, we need assistance. If we are left on our own, this development will take longer.”
President Mnangagwa said Africa is open for business as it has the natural and human resources to work towards solutions to climate change.
He said for developed nations to reach their current level, they adopted science and technology and the continent needs assistance in that regard to equip its largely youthful population with 65 percent below the age of 35.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who we are, the effect is across the planet and it is my view that politics aside, let us all put shoulder to the wheel to deal with this problem,” said President Mnangagwa.
“Our politics and differences are so vast but the time is gone to say if one region has problems then the other region will not lose sleep because it’s not their region with problems. I think now wherever there is a problem, if we keep awake, we all have to keep awake. If we sleep, we must all sleep because climate change affects us all.” 
The President shares a lighter moment with his regional counterparts from left, Filipe Nyusi (Mozambique), Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi) and Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia) on the sidelines of the UN Climate Conference COP27 yesterday. — Pictures: Tawanda Mudimu
The President said the burden of mitigating climate change also lies in industry and commerce who should come forward and help in dealing with the impact of climate change.
“We have suffered a lot because of perception, I think the time has come where the gap must be narrowed between perception and reality and the reality is that for global capital to continue to grow, it must embrace developing countries,” he said adding that developing countries need to create a conducive environment for the global capital to feel safe.
President Masisi also called on industry and commerce to support innovations towards solving problems.
He said Africa presents the best opportunities in terms of resources to adapt to climate change.
The Estonian President said they stand ready in assisting developing countries in developing technologies to detect and prepare for weather disasters.
After the high-level meeting, the President visited the Zimbabwean pavilion where he addressed ministers and staff. He said he was happy with the preparation of the pavilion urging the organisers to add more features in the future.
The President said the geopolitical tensions in Europe have given Africa the opportunity to move at its own pace towards the transition from fossil fuels to green energy as some Western countries were reverting to the use of coal.
The President said the Government through innovation hubs and other initiatives will empower the youth and women to be part of the solution in the migration to smart energy. The President challenged youths to research smart ways to utilise fossil fuels so that they do not damage the environment.
Meanwhile, PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will today address the Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Summit here 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.
The two-day summit, the first part of the high-level segment for Heads of State and Government, was also attended by the UN secretary-general António Guterres.
Environment Tourism and Climate Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, in an interview, 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 (today) between 9 and 10 AM,” 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.”
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.
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.”
After today’s address, President Mnangagwa will attend a high-level meeting hosted by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The President 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.
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