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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President Kenyatta joins global leaders in climate talks PAULINE KAIRU President Uhuru Kenyatta is among 40 participants in an ongoing Leaders Summit on Climate convened by United States President Joe Biden. From Africa, Mr Kenyatta was invited alongside President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Ali Bongo of Gabon and Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari. The summit, a two-day virtual event that began yesterday, is aimed at underscoring the urgency of stronger climate action. It also aims to galvanise action by leading economies to tackle the global climate crisis ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) scheduled for November this year in Glasgow. At the opening of the summit, President Biden said the science and cost of climate change are undeniable facts. He called on all players, especially the leading global economies, to set higher climate ambitions and act urgently to forestall global warm