MBABANE:King Mswati has appealed to the international community to donate about R43billion($2.4billion) and assist eSwatini fight climate change by implementing a plan seeking to reduce 2.24 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
As reported by Government online platforms, the King said eSwatini is among the first ten(10) countries to submit its Paris Agreement-compliant NDC 3.0 plan to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, he was addressing a Climate Change event held on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly this week.
“Despite this, Eswatini comes to this meeting determined to turn vulnerability into resilience. We are pleased to announce that we have concluded and submitted the Paris Agreement-compliant NDC 3.0. Eswatini will reform laws and strengthen all institutions to improve capacity, accountability, monitoring and reporting. Financial constraints limited NDC 2.0, which targeted US$900 million (E16.2 billion) to US$1.5 billion (E27 billion), raising only US$449 million (E8.1 billion) since 2018. The NDC 3.0’s E43 billion cost requires scaled-up, predictable climate finance. Thus, we expect stronger collaboration with our partners, including the local private sector, to finance the US$2 billion (E36 billion) gap,” he said.
On another note, the King said eSwatini will remain a net carbon sink and will reduce 2.24 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
“We will also invest in climate-smart agriculture and technology. Early warning systems, water resource management, waste management and infrastructure will be improved to protect our most vulnerable society.Climate-smart technologies should be affordable for farmers, homeowners and entrepreneurs after the loss and damage fund is recapitalised. Eswatini cares about survival and opportunity. With the right support, the country can turn climate challenges into green growth, food sovereignty and shared prosperity,” said the King.
King Mswati(pic:Gov).