DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – President George Weah has called for a fundamental shift in the approach to climate investments, particularly from major greenhouse gas-emitting countries. These nations, he insisted, must develop new initiatives for emission reduction and significantly increase financial pledges for United Nations climate financing initiatives.
He made the statement on Saturday at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change also known as COP 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
He began his address by acknowledging the unprecedented challenges the world faces due to climate change, citing record-breaking heat, droughts, flooding, and other disasters that have occurred with increasing frequency in 2023.
President Weah: “Today, let me reiterate that major greenhouse gas emitting countries will need to develop new initiatives for emission reduction, and not only fulfill – but significantly increase – the financial pledges that they have previously made for funding United Nations climate financing initiatives.
At the same time, care should be taken to overhaul and regulate carbon credit financing mechanisms to ensure more transparency and accountability, so that they are not used merely as an avenue for high emitters to avoid responsibility for reducing emissions.”
The Liberian President stressed the need for a candid assessment of the progress made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, emphasizing that the climate shocks experienced in 2023 serve as both a wake-up call and a call to action. He urged all countries present at COP 28 to adopt a more realistic agenda, implement concrete actions, and increase financial commitments to combat the climate emergency effectively.
President Weah also addressed the need to overhaul and regulate carbon credit financing mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability. He cautioned against the misuse of these mechanisms as an avenue for high emitters to evade responsibility for reducing emissions.
Emphasizing the vulnerability of nations like Liberia to the impacts of global warming, President Weah emphasized the importance of increased financial support for adaptation and mitigation. He called for urgent consideration of compensation for the loss and damage already inflicted by climate change.
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