Powering sustainable food systems in low-income countries
The largest greenhouse-gas emitters owe the rest of the world, while poorer nations need increased green finance and access to affordable clean energy
By Agnes Kalibata
and Kristina Skierka
The 17 members of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate generate about 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. That means they have the power to pull the brakes on the climate emergency. Political leaders from the world’s richest countries gathered for a US-hosted climate summit on Earth Day on Thursday last week. They have a shared responsibility to the planet and everyone on it.
The 17 members of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate generate around 80 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. That means they have the power to pull the brakes on the climate emergency. The political leaders from the world s richest countries, after gathering for a US-hosted climate summit on Earth Day (April 22), must now use the occasion to acknowledge their shared responsibility to the planet and everyone on it.
The countries most affected by climate change bear the least responsibility for the problem. Of the 16 most climate-vulnerable countries, 10 are in Asia and five are in Africa, where millions rely on agriculture but lack access to the clean energy that they will need to power a more resilient and profitable future. For these countries, building back better will be a stretch. They are already being held back by developed countries own energy and agriculture sectors, which are the leading sources of GHG emissions.
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WASHINGTON (PRWEB) April 22, 2021 At the Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by President Biden, the U.S. government announced today that it is resuming and strengthening its commitment to the United Nations Foundation s Clean Cooking Alliance. The pledge includes support to help countries achieve their climate ambitions through expanding access to clean cooking.
Approximately 2.8 billion people still lack access to clean cooking solutions, costing trillions of dollars a year in damage to health, the climate, and local economies. Changing the way families cook their food, by using clean fuels and stoves, will help slow climate change, drive gender equality, reduce poverty, and provide enormous health benefits.
NEW YORK CITY: The recent announcement of the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives came as welcome news to UN officials in a year that has been described by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as “make it or break it” for the planet.
Unveiled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on April 3, the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives are designed to reduce carbon emissions in the region by 60 percent through the use of clean hydrocarbon technologies and the planting of 50 billion trees, including 10 billion in the Kingdom.
Planners say it will help revive millions of hectares of deteriorated land, preserve marine and coastal environments, increase the proportion of natural reserves and protected land, improve the regulation of oil production, accelerate the transition to clean energy, and boost the amount of energy generated by renewables.