Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has represented the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, at a meeting of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the ongoing summit on Climate Change in Paris, France.
Delivered Mr Ban’s speech in his capacity as UN Special Envoy on Climate Change. Mr Kufuor said Small Island Developing States were among those countries that had contributed least to climate change, yet were among the most vulnerable to its impacts.
“For you, the outcomes of COP21 are particularly crucial. Climate change immediately threatens your livelihoods, ways of life and, for some, your very existence.”
“We need action. Paris provides an opportunity -- a political moment -- that we must seize.”
“At this crucial juncture, we need deep and constructive engagement by world leaders. I am calling on them to provide clear guidance to their negotiators to forge compromises, find consensus and work for the common interest.”
“All sectors of society are now engaged. Cities, communities, civil society groups, faith leaders, the private sector – all are demanding and answering the call for greater climate action,” Mr Ban said.
At an earlier meeting where Mr Kufour addressed ‘Financing on Climate Change Adaptation’ by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), he asked African countries to take advantage of expertise on the continent in making demands on the international community.
He said governments must help to erase the impression of Africa as being weak in human capacity by making use of institutions with credibility such as NEPAD and the African Development Bank, among others, in their dealings with the international community.
Former President Kufuor said such institutions renowned for their competence were well respected and able to make convincing arguments at the negotiating table which would inure to the benefit of the continent.
He said it was commendable that majority of African countries, including Ghana, presented their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) by the October 1, 2015 deadline.
The INDCs are measures towards adaptation, mitigation and resilience projected to be achieved by governments in the fight against the devastation of climate change.
Former President Kufuor hoped Africa had set realistic targets and called on the international community to fulfil their part by providing the resources and technological know-how to enable developing countries to meet them.
Ghana has committed to reducing its Greenhouse Gas emissions by 15 per cent, on its own by 2030, but could increase this to 45 per cent with external support.
The Paris Summit, dubbed COP 21 or the 21st Conference of the Parties, is being attended by about 150 heads of state and government.
It hopes to come up with legally binding agreements among states that will help to reduce the rise in world temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius of current levels by 2030, failing which mankind may not be able to survive the rise in temperatures.
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