By Alison Walkley
20 June 2009 [MEDIAGLOBAL]: The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) announced this week that Ethiopia is officially the first African country to join the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), the organization aiming to assist countries interested in achieving big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The nation joins Costa Rica, Iceland, Maldives, Monaco, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Pakistan, and Portugal.
Angele Luh Sy, UNEP Information Officer, told MediaGlobal, “Ethiopia became the first African country to sign up to the CN Net, a high-profile outreach initiative led by UNEP to promote global transition to low-carbon economies and societies. While Ethiopia is not a net contributor to climate change, the Ethiopian Government has expressed its commitment to the principle of mitigating climate change and to taking appropriate control measures.”
Joining CN Net builds on Ethiopia’s participation in UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign. At present, the country has planted over one billion trees towards the global goal of seven billion trees by the UN climate negotiations taking place this December in Denmark.
“In addition,” Luh Sy said, “the country is promoting low-carbon energy generation and use, such as wind and solar energy projects. The Government is also distributing 5.4 million compact fluorescent lamps, commonly known as ‘energy savers,’ countrywide to help electricity consumers to save money on their electricity bills and cut carbon emissions.”
Luh Sy added, “Participation in the CN Net is open to any country with a genuine commitment towards developing in a low-carbon way. The ethos of the network is inclusive and welcomes pledges that may fall short of full climate neutrality at the outset, but nevertheless contain a clear and explicit commitment to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
According to Luh Sy, “the network is not prescriptive or policed in the sense that it does not lay down how participants will meet their climate neutral aims, nor will UNEP verify claims. However, we do expect participants to enter and strive to realize their pledges in a responsible fashion and look forward to regular updates for posting on the Web site alongside proof of attainment. For example, in the future CN Net participants will be expected to demonstrate their progress by undertaking a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and reporting it on the network; establishing a climate neutral strategy identifying short, medium, and/or long term goals for emissions reduction and offsetting, and reporting it on the website; and sharing lessons learned, innovative ideas, and success stories on the network.”
Among several other examples of low-carbon initiatives and strategies taking place in Africa are Senegal’s “green coal” program, Rwanda’s interest in becoming a “green economy,” and an innovative energy and climate change strategy in Cape Town, South Africa.
Member countries of CN Net, according to Luh Sy, “will strengthen the country’s resolve towards developing in a low-carbon, resource-efficient way. Participation in the CN Net presents an opportunity to showcase one’s achievements on the path to climate neutrality, learn from the best available knowledge in the field, and get inspiration from others. We also anticipate that once pledges and plans are made, local non-governmental organizations and media will take an interest as to whether the country is pressing forward with its CN Net aims.”
Luh Sy concluded with a wish: “We hope that Ethiopia will be the first but certainly not last African nation to join the CN Net.”
