Liberia President George Weah said this year’s COP26 is taking place at a time when the world is living with the devastating and disruptive consequences of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic. He noted that, climate change, like COVID-19, presents an even bigger threat to the world and to common humanity.
Speaking on Monday, November 1, 2021 in the UK, according to Mr. Weah, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference seek common action to save the planet, and bring equity and fairness on how to achieve these objectives under the Paris Accord on Climate Change.
The Liberian Leader informed conference that, there is an inherent imbalance in the current architecture of climate financing. He noted that Countries like Liberia, who maintain and protect the largest remaining tracts of forest reserves, receive the lowest benefits for these ecosystem services.
Mr. Weah added that Liberia and others who are the richest in terms of forest resources and biodiversity, are the poorest in terms of socio-economic development. The Liberian president noted that his country bear the brunt of the impact of climate change, but benefit the least from the existing solutions and financial arrangements currently in place for tackling climate change.
The Oldest African Nation leader cautioned that there are needs for fundamental shift in the way we tackle mismatch in climate investments today, in order to address imbalance.
I believe that one of the ways that this can be done is to establish an African Carbon Credit Trading Mechanism. With your support, Liberia will be willing to host a conference in the near future to explore the details and structure of such an entity. We will work with pan-African and other global financial institutions to develop a long-term regulated market for African carbon credit, Mr. Weah informed his audience.
I am convinced that these initiatives will increase the chances of all African countries that depend on their forest reserves to attain sustainable economic growth and national development in line with the vision set out in the 2030 Agenda, the Liberian leader stressed.
President George Weah said the world together can make a difference as a shared community of global citizens with a common destiny. Together the world can be heal from the scourges of climate change, and save the earth from the deadly consequences of global warming, and bring humankind into harmony with nature.
