Baku — Angola has benefited from more than US$100 million in pilot projects to combat climate change since 2015, the National Director for Climate Action and Sustainable Development, Cecilia Bernardo, said on Saturday in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.
At a press conference on the sidelines of the High-Level Summit and the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the source said that the sector is working with the Ministry of Finance to increase funding, in order to create a structure for moving from pilot to structuring projects.
She stressed that pilot projects are drivers that show how to seek money to support development processes.
'So, we also have to create the structure at the national level to access, receive and use and then report. This is the process we are doing,' she said.
The official defended greater financing for the climate, taking into account the increase in resilience in the country's drought areas, despite the effort being made by the Angolan State.
Cecília Bernardo stressed the need to prepare, first at the national level and then internationally, to see if the country is ready to receive money, in order to implement all other projects.
She informed that it has already been included in the preparation of the General State Budget for 2025, but always keeping in mind that the most immediate sectors, such as health and education, are prioritized.
According to Cecilia Bernardo, Angola is part of the polluting countries, as the country accounts for about 3% of Africa's total emissions.
'But we cannot look at this scenario, but look at a more optimistic scenario, in the sense of developing our economy with fewer emissions, which is included in the national climate change strategy, a low-carbon development,' she said.
She added that Angola is altruistic and is making decisions to reduce emissions even before being asked to do so.
'As we are predicting a better future for us, our policies are already beginning to take into account the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,' she emphasized.
Angola's stand at COP 29 is equipped with televisions to disseminate messages about the actions taken by the Angolan Government, within the framework of the energy transition process, which have contributed to the fight against climate change and the reduction of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
During the days of COP 29, the Angola pavilion is addressing several topics such as 'UNIDO @COP29' and highlights the participation of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The focus is on 'Industrial Solutions for People and the Planet', emphasizing the Importance of innovation and industrial sustainability to address today's environmental and social challenges.
The illustration includes elements of renewable energy, sustainable transport and technology, reflecting UNIDO's mission to promote industrial development that benefits both communities and the environment.
Angola recognizes its vulnerability in relation to climate change and is aware of the impacts it has been suffering and the tendency for it to worsen.
Such as Floods, droughts, soil erosion and rising sea levels are identified as the main effects of climate change in the country. FMA/VIC/DOJ
