MIDWEEK REPORTER
MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA-The Pan African Parliament President, Chief Fortune Charumbira has come out guns blazing over inaction on climate change and global warming issues.
Chief Charumbira said it is no longer attractive for people to continue talking about climate change effects and adding more and more scientific terms without getting down to action to combat the menace that is threatening to wipe out humanity from earth.
The PAP President was speaking during the official opening of the third summit on climate policy and equity in Africa held at the continental parliamentarians headquarters in Midrand South Africa last Tuesday.
“The time for nice terminologies is over, what we want from now on is action, action and more action.
“Tell us what needs to be done and lets get down to action rather than spend acres and acres of space talking about global warming without taking concrete action to combat it,” said Chief Charumbira to delegates.
The president of Africa’s premier parliament called on delegates not to dwell on the past but rather focus on ensuring that the Summit is a stepping stone to solutions on the devastating effects of climate change which is causing untold suffering to Africa yet the continent only contribute 4% to global warming.
“We need a strong institutional arrangement out of this summit and leadership must play a big role in this. Without leadership, nothing will be achieved. Let’s avoid repeating what we have said in the past. We need to interrogate why developed countries are not respecting what they have committed to do on global warming,” he said.
Chief Chirumbira added that conversations must be inclusive and that “We must be inclusive and we must ask whose voice is missing. We must be deliberate in bringing the missing voices onboard. We cannot be prescribed a solution that we are not part to, we should be actively involved and be part of the solution to this,”.
He added that it is unacceptable for developed countries to continue to prescribe solutions and promise funds to combat global warming year after yet nothing comes up and people go for another COP and nothing comes up again.
He also said Africa should speak with one voice for it to be heard better instead of approaching the issue of global warming as a divided front.
The historic summit was attended by African Union Chairman, Comoros President, Azali Assoumani and African Heads of State and Governments on Climate Change, Kenyan President William Ruto.
