South African minister urges for equitable climate financing in Africa

Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, has highlighted the pressing issue of climate change funding disparities affecting the African continent.

In his keynote address at the first African Peace & Security Dialogue in Johannesburg, Lamola emphasized that there was an urgent need to raise more finances for African nations to deal with atrocities, especially in light of the disproportionate allocation of climate change funding.

“It is inconceivable that only 3% of the financing aimed for climate change goes to the global south and in particular South Saharan Africa, which is the most affected by climate change,” he stated.

This startling statistic, he said, underlines the challenges that African countries, on the front lines of the effects of climate change, face. Lamola emphasized the need for a collective action that rallies the call for more significant financial resources by all African nations.

“The disproportionate funding of climate change in the continent should be mitigated and all African countries should speak in one voice,” he said while emphasizing the necessity for a united front in advocating for increased funding to fight against the negative impacts of climate change.

He went further to expound on the observable impact of climate change within the region, taking the El Niño phenomenon as an example, and how already it had affected the agricultural land and societal norms within Southern Africa.

He pointed out the glaring inconsistency that while northern hemisphere countries are primarily responsible for this climate catastrophe, they must fulfil their commitments outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Additionally, Lamola acknowledged the significance of the UN Secretary-General’s report on critical minerals, which recognizes Africa's vast mineral resources.

“The report acknowledges the huge mineral endowments the African continent is dressed with, but points to the fact that Africa should be the beneficiary of the current wave of the critical minerals through value added in the continent and beneficiary and local manufacturing,” he stated.

He urged African nations, particularly within the AU and regional bodies like SADC, to quickly devise a critical minerals strategy. “If the continent does not act with speed, this wave may also preside,” he warned, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures to ensure Africa reaps the benefits of its natural resources.

The Annual African Peace and Security Dialogue, organized by Thabo Mbeki Foundation, aims to provide a platform for African political & economic leaders, scholars, and policymakers to discuss current peace and security challenges facing the continent, share best practices, and develop practical solutions. The dialogue seeks to deepen understanding and stimulate a robust debate on African-led solutions to peace and security challenges.

BB