|
|||
 |
|
||
|
Africa wants developed nations to pay up for climate changeDate : 28/08/2009 Publication
: German Press Agency dpa Category
: Feature
|
||
 |
 |
African leaders are due to meet in Libya early next week to consider a proposal demanding an annual 67 billion dollars from developed nations to mitigate the effects of climate change on the continent.
The draft proposal - which also calls for major polluters to cut emissions by 40 per cent from 1990 levels before 2020 - will raise a few eyebrows if it is tabled at December’s United Nations climate change talks in Copenhagen.
But Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, believes Africa is justified in demanding such a hefty sum at the talks, which are aimed at sealing a new global climate change deal.
“If you look at a continent of almost one billion people, this is the true cost of global warming for Africa,” he told the German Press Agency DPA. “Africa is the most vulnerable continent - not assisting it will have far-reaching consequences.”
Steiner is one of a significant number of scientists, aid workers and politicians who say Africa is bearing the brunt of climate change despite contributing a fraction of global carbon emissions.
Click on link at top of page for full article