#National News

COP28: Climate activists ready to tackle climate crisis

Mar 3, 2023, 1:43 PM | Article By: Fatou Dem

At the 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP28) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Gambian climate activists affirmed their commitment to tackling the climate crisis in their regions and beyond.

It could be recalled that four Gambians were invited to the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) annual meeting that aimed to reflect on the work done in 2022 and the plan for 2023.

The meeting also involved multi-stakeholder consultation and strategy for COP28.

Samba Faye, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Plantation Nurseries in Fass Njaga Choi, North Bank Region said the goal for participation in the meeting was to strengthen the capacity of the organization as well as to support in fostering a concerted effort that would aid in addressing the challenges of climate change in the African region.

“I became convinced of the fact that there is a need to consider the relative roles and responsibilities for causing the problem of global warming and for associated action by rising to the urgency of the climate crisis in Africa and putting the plight of millions losing their livelihoods and lives above personal, national, and international political and economic considerations,” Mr. Faye alluded.

He added that the climate crisis is a critical issue in considering the fairness of global emissions reduction targets and the respective roles cum costs for different nations to reduce emissions, set through international climate change negotiations, rather than depending on foreign initiatives.

He continued that there is wisdom in using local perspectives and environmental knowledge as a good practice in informing policy-making and climate issues assessments at the national level and ensuring these are context-specific to prevent a myriad negative consequences as they see today.

Mr. Faye, a climate change activist said it is noteworthy that communities in the African region are facing increasing threats as a result of climate change as evidenced by sea level rise, more intense hurricanes, changes in rainfall patterns, diminishing water availability, new health-related hazards, and other impacts that are negatively affecting the livelihoods of the most vulnerable people.