President Emmerson Mnangagwa, current Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, to represent the regional bloc at the 29th Conference of Parties (COP’29) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). As the primary decision-making body on global climate action, COP brings together leaders and experts from around the world to address pressing issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, climate adaptation, and sustainable development.
Ahead of the official opening, President Mnangagwa met with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev to discuss key priorities for the conference. COP’29 offers a critical platform for countries to exchange ideas on climate actions, strategize on mitigating adverse effects like El Niño, and discuss resources and technologies necessary for climate resilience.
A central aspect of President Mnangagwa’s agenda as SADC Chair is advocating for equitable access to carbon credits. These credits, which allow the holder to emit a specific quantity of greenhouse gases, are tradeable assets that can be monetized to support further climate action. African countries, despite accounting for just 4% of global greenhouse emissions, are disproportionately affected by climate change and need greater access to carbon credits. This would enable them to sell credits to industrialized nations, using the proceeds to fund climate mitigation and development projects.
Africa’s historical contribution to emissions remains minor, with a per capita emission rate of 0.8 tons of CO2, far below the 16.4 tons of the United States or Europe’s 6.4 tons. Industrialized countries, which have emitted large quantities of greenhouse gases over centuries, contribute far more per capita, yet they dominate the carbon credit market due to their resources for emissions reduction. President Mnangagwa is expected to call for reforms to the carbon credit system, emphasizing that current mechanisms should account for historical emissions, per capita impact, and Africa’s unique vulnerabilities to climate change.
Additionally, President Mnangagwa will advocate for COP to provide African nations with increased financial and technological support to meet climate adaptation and mitigation targets. He is also scheduled to lead discussions on climate justice and the need for equitable responsibility-sharing between industrialized and less industrialized nations.
Following COP’29, President Mnangagwa will head to the SADC Extra-Ordinary Summit, where he will continue representing regional interests on the international stage. His engagements underscore his role as a prominent African statesman committed to advocating for the continent’s priorities on global platforms.
