Outlines Equatorial Guinea’s carbon dioxide reduction plan
and calls for increased cuts from the most developed nations
Equatorial Guinean President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo spoke at
the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris
this week about the country’s pledged emissions cuts and the need for global
cooperation to protect the environment.
Equatorial Guinea will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20
percent in 2030 and 50 percent in 2050. To achieve this, Obiang called for
global economic and technical assistance.
Obiang highlighted that five nations are responsible for
over 55 percent of emissions and called for these industrialized nations to
become accountable and reduce their emissions even further.
He recognized that the climate situation involves the global
community as a whole and it is in the best interest of everyone to come to a
firm agreement to safeguard humanity.
Obiang’s speech was made in front of the over 150 world
leaders who attended the conference in addition to United Nations Secretary
General, Ban Ki-moon and leading climate authorities.
In addition to his speech, Obiang held bilateral meetings
with his international counterparts and other high-level meetings.
Equatorial Guinea is located in the Congo River Basin, home
to some of the largest undisturbed tropical rainforests in the world, and has
seen first-hand the effects of climate change.
The goal of COP21 is to come to an International Agreement
for post-2020 to reduce the emissions of harmful gasses into the atmosphere in
an attempt to curb the recent global temperature fluctuations.
