Ethiopia is a frontrunner, especially in contributing to the mitigation of climate change by planting billions of trees across the country, Former President Mulatu Teshome said.
Explaining Ethiopia’s contribution to the fight against climate at the Astana International Forum held in Kazakhstan on June 8-9 this year, the former president revealed that the country planted 25 billion s lings over the past four years.
“For me the forum (in Kazakhstan) has served as a good opportunity to let the international community know what we are doing in Ethiopia, what potentials we have including natural resources, the good climate we have because planting 25 billion trees in four years, if there was no conductive environment, good soil, water or rain could be very big problem and challenging. So, Ethiopia is very well-placed to be a front runner especially in contributing to the challenges of climate change in this regard,” he elaborated.
According to him, Ethiopia is not only minimizing, but in the long run going to fully engage in developing its non-carbon source of energy.
The impact of climate change to growth and development, global peace and security as well as challenge toward biodiversity were the other agendas discussed at the forum, it was learned.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, the former president said the forum was really focused on the present day and critical issues our world is facing.
He added that on one hand there is globalization, but the philosophy behind globalization is being hindered through the trade wars and sanctions and that was one area how to enhance global trade and investment, free trade and free flow of goods and services, he noted.
At a session dedicated to the former president, Mulatu tried to take the agenda of Pan Africanism and what Africa could contribute to the global challenges.
All in all, attempt was made to explain what Pan Africanism means, especially in its present day context. “It is a call for solidarity among Africans to speak with one voice in order to ensure self-interest of our continent Africa.”
OAU was established on the basis of Pan Africanism and that philosophy of Pan Africanism grew to enable Africans to get full independence from colonial powers and also to eradicate a South African political problem which was discriminating against the native people.
After political independence of the African countries, a call came from African people for independent economic aspiration, he elaborated.
That was how OAU gradually evolved into the African Union and at the back of all this development is Pan Africanism, the solidarity among all Africans which enabled Africa to be together, all African countries to share their solidarity with each other and develop together.
Commenting on the recent Summit for a New Global Financing Pact held in Paris, Mulatu said this idea is the interest of all developing countries, especially countries that have contributed to tackle climate change for carbon reduction.
Promises were made, the former president recalled, adding that but they were not kept. The promises were and are not fulfilled by the donor well developed countries which have contributed to pollution, he stated.
The former president underlined that the call is actually not only in the interest of Ethiopia, but in the interest of the developing world which have contributed to reducing to carbon dioxide.
“We are not doing this for the international community. We are doing it for ourselves. But there is a consensus by the international community that if countries are contributing positively like Ethiopia did, in reforestation, in implementing green economy, then there will be somehow a pledge which was made by the international community to be implemented,” he noted.
The former president who took part in the forum by heading Ethiopian business delegation also shared his views on the historical significance and modern relevance of Pan Africanism as a unifying ideology for the African continent.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency