By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
President Hakainde affirmed Zambia’s willingness to support and work closely with the global community in resolving climate change at Glasgow’s COP26 climate change summit.
And United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson told leaders and delegates that the “anger and the impatience of the world” would be uncontainable “unless we make this COP26 in Glasgow the moment that we get real about climate change”.
President Hichilema also said that Zambia is ready to reduce emissions by 47 percent if adequately supported by world leaders and global partners.
President Hichilema said he is confident that together, the global community of nations will deliver the outcome that the world urgently needs for averting a climate crisi.
He said science is clear that the world only has a small window of opportunity to ensure that everyone collectively take decisive action and prevent the negative impact of climate change.
“For developing and vulnerable countries like Zambia, which is among the least developed countries with multiple challenges, climate change brings an additional layer of challenges and aggravates existing ones. Climate change makes it difficult for countries to effectively address several socio-economic challenges in order to lift citizens from high poverty levels.
The President said he was hopeful and confident that if the desired outcome from the COP-26 Summit is achieved, there should be clear, deep and real cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to be addressed by all countries with the developed countries taking the lead.
And Mr Hichilema further said that there should be adequate and predictable financing to enable developing countries to make impactful contributions to address this critical global challenge.
“I wish to emphasise the need for us all to foster a sense of urgency as we work to give political momentum to our negotiators and encourage them to make good use of the next two weeks to give the world the outcome it needs from this conference. We have an obligation and noble task to deliver for our citizens, the much needed and desired changes to preserve this planet and safeguard our environment for future generations” he said.
Among the leaders that President Hichilema addressed was Prince Charles, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sir David Attenborough, President Guy Parmelin, Switzerland, President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria, President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana President Alberto Fernandez, Argentina.
This is according to statement issued to The Independent Observer by First Secretary | Press and Public Relations Zambia High Commission in the United Kingdom Abigail Chaponda
