By Mako Jerera
His Excellency the President and SADC Chairperson, Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa is in Baku, Azerbaijan, to attend the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).
The President was welcomed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira and other senior government officials.
The conference, which runs from November 11 to November 22, has attracted delegates from nearly 200 countries, including heads of state and diplomats, who are converging at Baku Stadium to discuss critical climate issues.
Ahead of the Conference official opening, President Mnangagwa met with his counterpart, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, in a closed door meeting.
In another courtesy call on the sidelines of the COP29 conference, President Mnangagwa met with the President of Guinea-Bissau, H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo.
In an interview with the media after the meeting, H.E Embalo praised President Mnangagwa for his unwavering position in defence of African freedom.
Climate financing will be a central topic at this year’s summit, with a particular focus on how developed nations should support developing countries financially to combat climate change.
Zimbabwe, facing increasingly severe droughts, floods, cyclones, and heatwaves, requires $100 billion to achieve climate resilience by 2030. President Mnangagwa is expected to advocate for meaningful financial support, highlighting how Africa bears the brunt of global warming despite contributing minimally to emissions.
In a report released ahead of COP29, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a new climate finance commitment, urging developed nations to double adaptation financing to at least $40 billion per year by 2025.
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