ZIMBABWE climate change activists and environmental advocates have downplayed United States President Donald Trump’s administration’s exit bid from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Trump issued an executive order last week for the exit of America from the agreement immediately.
In an interview with NewsDay, Washington Zhakata, the chief director in the Environment, Climate and Wildlife ministry, said the issue of climate change was global.
“Of course, the Trump administration’s withdrawal has some impacts where developing countries are advocating for financial resources from the developed world that will be less than expected. There has been little financial resources for the developing world,” he said.
However, Zhakata said the US’s exit would not affect local climate change policies including hosting of the forthcoming 15th Conference of Contracting Parties COP15 also known as Ramsar Convention on Wetlands from July 23 to 31 in Victoria Falls this year.
“Our hosting of Ramsar is being supported by other international players that believe climate change is a real issue requiring immediate attention globally.
“There were no funds committed directly from United States but we have the United Nations and other non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations ready to partner the government to host the event successfully. We are hopeful that we will manage hosting COP15 and pull through without the American government that has its own agenda,” he said.
Zhakata noted America’s double standards on climate change policies.
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‘‘Ironically, the American government has some programmes on climate change agenda in its policies in respect of renewable energy, among others.
“They don’t want to channel more resources to the world at the expense of their communities. There is nothing we can do about Trump’s thrust hence we are moving forward with our policies.
“The good news is that our government has embraced climate change, mainstreaming it into the agricultural sector and Finance ministry. All agencies and departments must flag out climate change clearly through allocation of funds during budget formulation and commitment domestically. We are doing this for our own communities and survival,” he said.
Never Gariromo, executive director of Zimbabwe Zero Waste CBOs Consortium said if the US was contributing to the Green Climate Finance Loss and Damage Fund it would be a loss.
“Another angle is that US is one of the biggest polluter. Trump has withdrawn US from the only platform that can significantly push that continent to contribute towards the collective fight against climate change,” Gariromo said.
He said US companies such as Shell and Microsoft were doing vibrant work in voluntary carbon offsetting and buying of carbon credits from Africa.
“The pact is aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels or, failing that, keeping temperatures at least well below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels. The US is one of the world’s top carbon polluting nations,” he said.
Technically, the withdrawal takes one year to be effective according to both Gariromo and Zhakata.
“So it means by 2026 US commitments are still ongoing. This is not the first time that US has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement. During Trump's previous presidency he did the same. Biden had rejoined,” he said.
