Addis Ababa: The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has called on African countries to act with resolve and clarity of purpose on issues of climate change. This call was made as the Minister attended the annual Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to South African Government News Agency, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the 38th African Union (AU) Summit, where Heads of African States and Government considered climate issues of strategic importance to the continent. During this session, the Coordinator of CAHOSCC, Dr William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, delivered his report, which highlighted developments since the last meeting in 2024.
The report included reflections on the outcomes of the 29th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November 2024 and the implications for Africa. It also covered the CAHOSCC report from the meeting held on the margins of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, updates from the Africa Climate Initiatives and Commissions, and the operationalisation of the Africa Climate Summit outcomes.
The CAHOSCC meeting also considered and submitted a draft decision on key climate change issues for adoption by the AU Assembly. Dr George, during his intervention, reiterated the need for African countries to “act with resolve and clarity of purpose” and highlighted opportunities through South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
The Minister is leading the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG), which aims to advance the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is achieved by focusing on priorities such as adapting to climate change, building resilience, addressing loss and damage, the just transition, and mobilising climate finance.
Other priority areas include biodiversity and conservation, addressing land degradation, desertification and drought, sustainable chemicals and waste management, as well as oceans and coasts. Following a request by Dr George, the meeting resolved to request the AU Commission to convene a consultative meeting with AU Member States to deliberate on the priorities and proposed deliverables for the ECSWG prior to the first virtual meeting of the Working Group in March 2025.