Rio de Janeiro: The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, has issued a call to action for international partners with substantial financial, technological, and scientific resources to increase their involvement in combating climate change. Speaking at the 19th G20 Summit during its ‘3rd Session: Sustainable Development and Transition’ in Rio de Janeiro, Lourenço emphasized the necessity for additional grants beyond the scope of official development assistance, ensuring these do not detract from support for economic growth and progress.
According to Angola Press News Agency, President Lourenço highlighted the critical need for developed nations to provide adequate, consistent, and timely support to countries undergoing growth and development. This support should encompass financial resources and technologies to address challenges such as desertification, land degradation, drought, and other critical phenomena that hinder the implementation of adaptation and mitigation programs related to climate change.
The
President argued that only through shared efforts can the global community address the serious issue of environmental degradation, which has manifested in regions such as eastern and southern Spain, the south and east coast of the USA, Italy, and Angola. He stressed that sustainable development must be approached holistically, considering factors such as external debt, which can impede the capacity of developing nations to effectively contribute to environmental solutions.
President Lourenço underscored Angola’s commitment to its climate action program despite financial and resource constraints. He informed the G20 leaders about Angola’s dedication to environmental preservation within its development programs, adhering to key decisions and recommendations despite lacking sufficient financial resources, technology, and adequately trained human resources.
He affirmed that Angola, along with Africa, is determined to undertake significant initiatives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the
United Nations 2030 Agenda. This summit marks President Lourenço’s first participation in a G20 Summit, representing Angola in discussions associated with the European Union and the African Union.
Angola was present at the summit by invitation from Brazil, alongside Portugal, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Nigeria, Norway, and Singapore, and members of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP). The Brazilian presidency emphasized the importance of these nations’ contributions to topics such as ‘Social Inclusion and Combating Hunger and Poverty,’ ‘Energy Transition and Sustainable Development,’ and ‘Reform of Global Governance Institutions,’ which were selected as priority issues for the summit.