Head of State Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé chaired the second African climate summit on November 13, 2024, on the sidelines of the COP29 work.
During this high-level event which aims to respond to common concerns and highlight the key positions of African countries to strengthen Africa’s negotiations at the Conference of the Parties, the President of the Republic once again highlighted highlight Togolese diplomacy in facilitating dialogue related to climate change.
For successful climate action in Africa, the Head of State took care to present the climate change situation on the continent, before proposing endogenous solutions based on natural potential and avenues for contextualized investments.
“We must necessarily think of specifically African solutions, tailor-made approaches that take into account investments in basic infrastructure with an emphasis on decentralized structures but also on natural potentials and urgent and fundamental priorities for the development of nations.”
To this end, the President of the Republic welcomed the Nairobi Declaration and national policies, while noting the need to create the conditions that allow Africa to benefit from fair and direct access to available financing.
To go further in this same dynamic, the Head of State invited his peers to invest more in the policy of developing renewable energies, because “there will be no successful global energy transition without Africa and without this source of energy, there will be no global energy transition without Africa and its resources. Africa is not only a region in need of support, it is also a potential leader in the global energy transition.”
Recognized for his active diplomacy and his commitment to African integration in all areas of development, the President of the Republic urged Africans to assert their leadership in financing climate action on the continent by displaying a unified position .
“I think it is more important than ever to demonstrate African leadership on the climate issue by displaying a unified position. It is essential that Africa speaks with one voice. Let us be united in our guiding voices so that we gain a central place and a respected voice in open climate discussions. “A United Africa is a powerful voice that reminds us that sustainable development and climate action must advance in peace.”
The Head of State was confident about the future of the African continent, welcoming the resilience of African countries and the innovation policy that is developing on the continent.
