Maputo — Mozambican Agriculture Minister Roberto Albino believes that the most polluting economies should formally be pressured to increase funding and technical support for the most vulnerable countries in matters of climate change.
According to the minister, who was speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Belém, capital of the Brazilian state of Pará, on the sidelines of the latest Climate Change Summit (COP30), Mozambique will propose that the most polluting economies be pressured to increase funding for vulnerable countries.
"This is not just an appeal, it is a right. We are among those who pollute the least, but we suffer the most. We need solidarity and climate justice to rebuild our infrastructure and ensure a sustainable future', he said.
During the summit, Mozambique will be represented by a delegation led by Republic Daniel Chapo, who will address two discussion panels, entitled "Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans' and "10 years of the Paris Agreement: Nationally Determined Contributions and Financing.'
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According to the Minister, Mozambique's priorities for the summit include discussing the creation of rapid response capabilities to save lives and protect infrastructure during extreme events and promote a resilient development agenda.
"Many commitments made since the Paris Agreement in 2015 have not been fulfilled, which increases the vulnerability of African countries. We want the most polluting economies to prioritize financial and technical support for those who contribute least to global warming but face the greatest impacts', he said.
He added that Mozambique intends to present concrete proposals to strengthen climate finance mechanisms and facilitate vulnerable countries' access to adaptation and mitigation funds. "Part of our agenda at COP30 is to increase investment from other countries to support us in strengthening our response capacity. The domestic budget does not allow us to respond to all challenges', he said.
The Minister recalled that Mozambique is still recovering from the devastating effects of cyclones and floods that destroyed roads, bridges and homes. In the last five years, Mozambique was hit by three intense cyclones, namely Idai (in March 2019), Kenneth (in April 2019) and Freddy (in February 2021), which resulted in over 1,100 deaths.
"For this reason, we want international support to be directed towards reconstruction and strengthening rapid response capacity', he said.
The Heads of State Summit, scheduled for 6 and 7 November, precedes the technical sessions of COP30, which will take place from 10 to 21 November. More than 50 world leaders have confirmed their attendance at the meeting.
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