Around 50 demonstrators gathered at the entrance of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) venue on Thursday, demanding wealthy nations to uphold their commitment for climate change mitigation in the Global South.
Teresa Anderson, a representative of ActionAid International, noted that Global South nations are the most affected by climate change, while producing a fraction of the global emissions.
“It’s the global South that is paying for the floods, for the droughts, for the rising sea levels, and they’re trying to adapt to future impacts. On top of that, they’re somehow supposed to pay to mitigate and adopt green technologies, but they can’t because they’re drowning in debt,” Africa News quoted Anderson as saying.
According to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, China, the United States, India, the EU27, Russia, and Brazil are responsible for 61.6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. China, India, and the United States have even increased their GHG emissions in 2022, compared to 2021.
Anderson said that rich nations push the Global South to reduce their emissions using “loans or private investment, pretending that is climate finance.”The activist noted: “The Global South is already drowning in debt thanks to the climate crisis,” stating that more loans can cause “climate colonialism.”
Climate colonialism refers to how wealthy countries use their resources to fund climate projects in developing nations, often prioritizing profit over the needs of local people.
For instance, reforestation or renewable energy projects led by the Global North can displace Indigenous communities, adding to long-standing social and economic injustices.
Morocco’s Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, has also urged for stronger engagement from COP29 Member States in a speech on Wednesday to empower vulnerable countries, “often the least responsible for emissions and most affected by climate disasters.”
The official stated: “Morocco fully assumes its responsibilities. However, these challenges concern every country on this planet, especially the most industrialized nations.”