At last year’s COP27’s World Leaders Summit, Leah Namugerwa, 18, did not mince her words: no more rhetoric, it’s time to leave a positive legacy Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt | THE INDEPENDENT | When Leah Namugerwa turned 15 in 2019, she planted 200 trees to celebrate her birthday. Her idea blossomed into …
Read More »Climate crisis tops priority list for World Bank presidential nominee Ajay Banga
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Newly appointed World Bank President Ajaypal (Ajay) Singh Banga has unveiled plans to visit Africa among other regions soon to acquaint himself with the issues surrounding borrowers and partners. Banga is poised to become the next World Bank President later this year, amidst mixed …
Read More »Climate finance for the developing world
A smarter international strategy is crucial for driving greater investment toward clean-energy projects COMMENT | Sumant Sinha | Recent estimates suggest that the developing world will need $1 trillion of external climate finance annually by 2025, and $2.4 trillion per year by 2030, to meet the goals enshrined in the Paris climate …
Read More »African scientists root for hybrid rice to beat climate-induced hunger crisis
Nairobi, Kenya | Xinhua | Large-scale adoption of hybrid rice that has proved effective in withstanding climatic stresses, as well as pests and diseases, is paramount in order to tackle Africa’s hunger and malnutrition crisis, scientists said Friday. Emmanuel Okogbenin, for programme development and commercialisation at African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), noted …
Read More »IMF chief hails Rwanda’s climate actions
Kigali, Rwanda | Xinhua | Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva has hailed policies and sustained implementation of reforms to address climate change by the different stakeholders in Rwanda. “I came away impressed by the dynamism and creativity of Rwandan youth advocating for climate action and environmental conservation, …
Read More »Climate before trade
Why trade rules shouldn’t stand in the way of measures that advance global decarbonisation effort COMMENT | Dani Rodrik | Late last month, a foreign leader accused U.S. President Joe Biden of pursuing “super aggressive” industrial policies. It was not Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose countries are …
Read More »Green bottles and blue denim
An artivist’s guide to saving the planet Kampala, Uganda | Atieno Odera | At the Climate Story Lab Africa 2022 edition, a woman dressed in a costume made with over 500 green plastic bottles struts onstage in a fully packed auditorium. “Kiragala Kiragala! Chetwagalo Kulagula! The energy is rising…filling up the air! …
Read More »Population pressure delays Butaleja wetlands restoration
Shs160bn project from COP21 commitments at stake NEWS ANALYSIS | Dicta Asiimwe | A project intended to help subsistence farmers in Butaleja district, eastern Uganda, cope with climate change impacts is at risk of failure as some would be beneficiaries have not yet left the wetlands where they grow rice. …
Read More »Climate experts to African Govts: Ignore COP27’s soft stance on fossil fuels, go for renewables
Africa’s climate experts urge the continent to look beyond COP27’s faux arguments for fossil fuels and adopt cleaner energy sources. Sharm al Sheikh, Egypt| BIRD AGENCY | A significant number of environmental disasters have occurred across communities in Africa this year. In the lead-up to the “African COP,” there was …
Read More »Rome Water Dialogue highlights connection between water management, agriculture
Rome, Italy | Xinhua | The world’s stressed water supply needs to be sustainably managed, organizers from Tuesday’s Rome Water Dialogue said, as needs for consumption and agricultural use are set to increase dramatically in the coming decades. Hosted by the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in …
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