COP30: President Ramaphosa calls for urgent reform of international finance for sustainable development
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George delivered the message on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa during the COP30 Leaders’ Summit in Belém, Brazil, calling for urgent reform of the global financial system to support climate action.
Image: Supplied
South Africa has called on world leaders attending the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, to close the gap between climate ambition and finance, warning that the global transition to a low-carbon economy must be fair and inclusive.
Delivering the opening statement on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the COP30 Leaders’ Summit, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, said the world was meeting “at a moment of global uncertainty and inequality” that demanded “courage, solidarity and multilateralism in action”.
“World leaders have a moral duty to close the gap between ambition and finance in the fight against climate change,” George said, emphasising that no nation could face the crisis alone.
He reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and to the principle of equity, as well as common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities “in the light of differentiated national circumstances”.
“The Global Stocktake is clear. Progress is too slow. We must accelerate action on mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, and the means of implementation,” he said.
Warning against unilateral trade measures
Minister George cautioned that climate response measures adopted by developed countries should not undermine the industrial and socio-economic development goals of developing nations.
“Climate change response measures by developed countries should not impact developing countries' industrial, trade and socio-economic development goals, in line with international law,” he said.
“These unilateral climate response measures should not have spill-over and negative cross-border impacts on developing countries. Our firm view is that the unilateral trade measures which aim to achieve unbalanced climate objectives outside of the framework of the multilateral process, or unfairly restrict global trade in green technology, will only serve to hinder our ability to achieve a just transition, and slow the global effort to address climate change.”
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George delivered the message on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa during the COP30 Leaders’ Summit in Belém, Brazil, calling for urgent reform of the global financial system to support climate action.
Image: Supplied
Finance and reform priorities
Outlining South Africa’s expectations for COP30, George said the negotiations must deliver concrete progress on adaptation and finance.
“The Global Goal on Adaptation must deliver measurable indicators and the finance to achieve them. The Sharm el Sheikh Work Programme must unlock real investment through blended models. The Loss and Damage Fund must be capitalised,” he said.
He also called for the reform of international financial institutions to make long-term and affordable capital available for sustainable development and climate action.
“The Baku to Belém Roadmap must advance $1.3 trillion in grants, concessional finance and fiscal space measures. Reform of the international financial system is urgent so that multilateral banks can provide long-term and affordable capital for sustainable development and climate action,” George said.
South Africa’s domestic climate action
George outlined the steps South Africa has taken to meet its climate commitments, including the submission of its second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and a new 2035 mitigation target of between 320 and 380 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
“Our updated adaptation communication identifies our support needs for finance, technology and capacity building,” he said.
Domestically, South Africa’s new Climate Change Act has embedded climate action across government structures, while efforts to transform the country’s energy system are underway.
“We are transforming our energy system by procuring renewables, reforming our electricity market and expanding our grid to enable 30 gigawatts of new capacity by 2030,” George said.
He noted that the Renewable Energy Masterplan links this build-out to industrialisation, creating jobs in solar, wind, battery and green hydrogen industries.
“We are decarbonising steel and aluminium, developing sustainable fuels and electric vehicle manufacturing, and ensuring that growth is both low carbon and inclusive,” he said.
A call for collective action
Closing his address, George said South Africa stood ready to work with all nations to turn “commitment into action and ambition into results”.
“No country should face this transition alone. Let us meet this moment with courage, integrity and cooperation for our people and for the generations to come,” he said.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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