By Tenson Zobo
The National Youth Network on Climate Change says the outcomes of the first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was weak in as far as Malawi youth position and demands on climate change impacts and poverty reduction is concerned.
This is contained in the ‘Eleventh meeting of the parties under the Kyoto protocol (CMP 11)’, perspective from Malawian youth and from the revelation made during press briefing yesterday in Lilongwe.
Adviser for NYNCC Heather Maseko recommended that while COP 21 was generally an effective instrument for exposing high level world leaders on climate change Global Treaties and adaptation and many critical areas, the Cop 21has failed to come up with legally binding agreement to the countries violating environmental laws.
“The COP 21 has failed to embrace the key critical demands and expected solutions from Malawi youths on climate change. Instead, the only hope has been that the Paris meeting was subjected to high level world leaders” she said.
She also comments that Malawi continues to face the adverse effects of climate change due to its geographic and socio economic statuses apart from weaknesses of COP 21. Therefore, achieving the goals and the focus of developing capacity and strategic partnership among youths in Africa (Malawi) for sustainable climate action remain a challenge.
Board Member NYNCC and a Volunteer Dominic Nyasulu when presenting the outcomes of COP 21- Malawi Youths Perspective lament that little progress has been made in addressing challenges of climate change.
“The Cop 21 has made Climate Justice, Climate Financing and Technology Transfer, Global Climate Treaties and gender issues more visible and an attempt has been made by Malawian youths through NYNCC to achieving better balance between Cop 21 and African concerned countries in reducing emissions hence urged public to conserve the environment”, Said Nyasulu.
He further highlighted that developing and least developed countries are assured of Resource Envelope (Climate Financing) to scale up through Green Climate Fund (GCF), hence reducing poverty and creating employment through climate conservation projects.
However, the resource envelope element is still not adequately addressed in the COP 21 as it is unclear if the budgetary estimates presented are based on robust analysis of the costs of each project.
Therefore, priority should be given to African countries who has contributed less emissions in atmosphere and regain control over the environmental management for medium-term and long-term objectives to be achieved.
The NYNCC recognizes the importance of having a strong indicator framework and has provided more information in many of the indicators in as far as climate change is concerned.
In a similar development, We- Have- Faith (WHF) says it has step up strategies of climate change by collect almost 1 million signed petitions across Africa aiming at reducing effect of climate change (floods, drought and other extreme weather events), together with faith communities
