Dr. Dion George, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, recently urged African nations to take strong and clear actions against climate change. He made these comments during the annual Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 16.
This meeting took place alongside the 38th African Union (AU) Summit. It aimed to address critical climate challenges facing the continent. Dr. William Ruto, the President of Kenya and Coordinator of CAHOSCC, presented a report outlining key developments since their last gathering in 2024.
His report discussed important outcomes from the 29th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which occurred in November 2024. It also covered updates from the Africa Climate Initiatives and the operationalization of the Africa Climate Summit results.
The meeting not only reviewed these developments but also prepared a draft decision regarding crucial climate change challenges to be considered by the AU Assembly.
During his speech, Dr. George emphasized the opportunities for African countries to enhance their climate actions through South Africa’s G20 Presidency. He is leading an important G20 group focused on Environment and Climate Sustainability, which aims to push forward the environmental goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This group’s priorities include building resilience against climate change, addressing loss and damage, and mobilizing climate finance. Additionally, they will focus on biodiversity, land degradation, sustainable waste management, and protecting oceans and coasts.
In his address, Dr. George asked for a consultative meeting with AU Member States to discuss these priorities before the first virtual meeting of the Working Group in March 2025.
