Botswana set for COP-27

Botswana is on the right track in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the targets agreed under the Paris Agreement.

Prof Baleseng Moseki of the Department of Biological Sciences at University of Botswana says that as developing countries have been preparing for the COP-27, which is the very first to take pace in Africa, in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt - Botswana has also been keeping ready to benefit from the global forum.

Botswana is determined to achieve SDGs, as well as the Paris Agreement. “Firstly, Botswana is a signatory to Paris Agreement, and has ratified to reduce her emissions to an absolute target of 15 percent by 2030, relative to a 2010 baseline.

Secondly, Pillar 3 of Botswana’s Vision 2036 aims for a future where Botswana will have a low carbon footprint,” he explained.

Addressing the question ahead of the COP meeting, ‘What can be done to prevent climate and biodiversity collapse?’, Moseki said that in Botswana, industries, mining and wildfires, are some of the factors that contribute to biodiversity collapse.

“Climate change is mainly driven by increase in atmospheric CO2. Sources of CO2 are mainly due to anthropogenic activities such as: industries, mining, and wildfires,” he said. The most important step that can result in CO2 reduction is to plant trees, afforestation, he said.

“Plants absorb atmospheric CO2 during the processes of photosynthesis. The process of photosynthesis plays a dual role of fixing CO2 and manufacturing food, thus contributing to global food security,” he says.

Chairperson of African Group of Negotiators (AGN) Ephraim Mwepya Shitima, said the African continent is already experiencing severe and widespread impacts of climate change, causing devastation to lives and livelihoods in the continent.

“Africa is the least contributor to global emissions with less than four percent of total global emissions and yet the most adversely impacted region as reaffirmed by the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports.

“Africa is already experiencing severe and widespread impacts of climate change, causing devastation to lives, livelihoods and the continent’s development trajectory, and this is a clear manifestation of climate injustice,” Shitima said.

“As COP-27 takes place in Africa, this month there is high expectations that the African COP will deliver substantiate progress and implementable climate actions on the priority issues for Africa and other developing countries, including on adaptation, loss and damage delivering on the pledges on climate finance, with the ultimate aim of correcting the injustice and getting the world on a path to secure and safe climate future,' Shitima added.