Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged Western countries to attach the same seriousness they have attached to the Russia-Ukraine war to the fight against climate change.

The former president, who made these remarks while speaking on the platform of the Chatham House Africa Programme, on Friday, January 27, 2023, posited that Western countries are not doing enough to support the climate change fight even though they are the main cause of the menace.

He added that advanced countries have been dragging their feet to support the climate change fight but are willing to raise millions of dollars to support Ukraine, which has been evaded by Russia.

“I think there is too much lip service to solving the issue of climate change since the Paris Agreement. We all agreed in Paris on the steps to take toward climate change. This was the first serious breakthrough and we clapped, we were all happy, I was at that conference.

“The sad situation is that Africa has been the least contributor to global warming and yet we face the most adverse effect of global warming. And so, all we are telling the developing countries, those that are still polluting, is that create a fund so that adverse effects that we are facing, we can ameliorate and adapt to the changing global climate.

“And that becomes a difficulty. If there is a war in Ukraine suddenly billions of dollars show up. If it is dealing with the single biggest threat to human existence on its planet suddenly it is foot-dragging, stinginess and how are you going to use the money and all kinds of questions start coming up.

“And yet if is Russia evading somewhere suddenly EU, Britain, everybody will suddenly mobilise billions, it is not fair… climate change, not Russia is the biggest threat to human existence,” he said.

He reiterated that the West must be more ready to help fight climate change rather than providing tanks and aircraft for the Russia-Ukraine war.

Watch Mahama’s remarks in the video below (from 1:01:00)





IB/BOG