As world leaders confer at the UN Climate Change Conference or Conference of People (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, President George Weah laments that in-equity and imbalance still persist between high and low emitters.
He also points to disproportionate and unfair financial inflows to low-emitting countries, especially those with significant carbon capture capability, such as Liberia, who are expected to reserve their forests without commensurate benefit to their populations.
Addressing fellow world leaders Tuesday, 8 November in Egypt, President Weah reminded that at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, they acknowledged their shortcomings in terms of in-equity and admitted shortfalls in meeting targets for reduction in carbon emissions and footprints.
He further recalls that they re-confirmed commitments to increase financing towards such efforts and reviewed and re-evaluated chances of limiting rise in global warming to meet temperature target of 1.5 Centigrade by 2030.
"Now, one year later, as we meet in Sharm el-Sheikh today, we are observing, waiting, and hopeful that our promises made in Glasgow will be kept, and pledges fulfilled", Mr. Weah urges.
He calls for renewed dedication, commitment, and sincerity in harnessing collective strength to develop lasting solutions to save the world, not only for present generation but generations yet unborn.
President Weah: "Let us stand by the decisions and commitments we make at this COP27 conference here in Egypt to avert a global catastrophe. Together, we can implement and make our one world a better place."
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World leaders attending the two-weeklong conference that critics describe as mere talking shops say the fight against global warming is a battle for human survival.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged delegates on Monday to accelerate transition from fossil fuels and speed up funding to poor countries that suffer the impacts of climate change, saying "Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish."
President Hage Geingob of Namibia was blunt when he accused rich nations of dishonesty in talking about fight against climate change.
He told the BBC that wealthier countries, who he says are responsible for the current crisis, had turned climate conferences into talking shops, describing the world's largest polluters as "criminals" and poorer countries as "victims."
The BBC also quotes President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi as saying that wealthier countries should take on more responsibility in the climate change fight.
"We are all equal in value before God, but our obligations, our capacities, our opportunities our offences vary", President Chakwera says.
