COP26: Angola President pledges increase in use of renewable energy to 70% by 2025

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COP26: Angola President pledges increase in use of renewable energy to 70% by 2025

3:10 CAT | 02 Nov 2021

Photo: AFP

The President of Angola, João Lourenço, on Tuesday at the 26th United Nations Climate Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, pledged to increase the use of renewable energy sources to 70% by 2025.

Speaking this morning, the Head of State said that the country favours “the production and consumption of clean energy from existing hydroelectric dams and others to be built, as well as more renewable energy sources, with emphasis on photovoltaic energy production projects such as solar parks, which will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in electricity production.

Currently, he noted, the energy matrix of the country, one of the world’s biggest oil producers, already includes 62 percent of renewable sources and the ambition is “to reach 70 percent by 2025.

The head of state also said that Angola was committed to efforts to combat climate change with other measures, such as protecting and repopulating forests, particularly mangroves, via a national campaign to plant mango seedlings along the country’s extensive coastline.

Angola is one of more than 100 countries that signed a new agreement to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation announced today.

Lourenço also said that Angola recently signed an agreement in Washington, in the United States, with the International Conservation Fund (ICCF) for the conservation of the Luengue-Luianae and Mavinga national parks, “for the protection of animal and plant wildlife and the development of sustained international tourism.

The Angolan president reiterated his commitment to the Africa 2063 sustainable development goals but did not specify which greenhouse gas emission reduction targets under the Paris Agreement.

“We reiterate here the firm will and determination of Angola to remain committed to Climate Action and the adoption of a low-carbon development model,” he concluded.

He was speaking at this morning’s session of statements by countries on their targets and plans to combat environmental change.

The speeches by the heads of state and heads of government present in Glasgow began on Monday and will end this afternoon.

Over 120 political leaders and thousands of experts, activists and public decision-makers are meeting until 12 November in Glasgow, Scotland, at the 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP26) to update countries on their contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

COP26 takes place six years after the Paris Agreement, which set the goal of limiting the increase in the global average temperature of the planet between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial values.

Despite the commitments made, greenhouse gas concentrations reached record levels in 2020, even with the economic slowdown caused by the covid-19 pandemic, according to the UN, which estimates that at the current rate of emissions, temperatures will be 2.7ºC higher by the end of the century.

Source: Lusa