On Monday, Professor Noureddine Yassaa, the Commissioner for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency under the Prime Minister, stated that Algeria must execute an effective transition by developing renewable energies, and most importantly, by controlling energy consumption and efficiency.
“Algeria faces a dual vulnerability: climate and economic. Firstly, the climate risk with heatwaves, droughts, and forest fires… But also, economic dependence on the export of fossil energy sources,” he declared on Chaine 3.
“This form of energy, being responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, calls for a gradual, inclusive, and equitable transition that takes into account the specificities of each country,” explained Mr. Yassaa, elected vice-president to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), at its 59th session, held from 25 to 28 July 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.
He further added, “Algeria must execute an effective transition by developing renewable energies, but more importantly by mastering consumption and energy efficiency, especially during these periods of intense heat where we reach peaks in energy consumption.”
According to him, the IPCC, the UN panel on climate change, has already prepared six climate assessment cycles, and “the latest presents an alarming observation on global warming, reporting an increase of 1.2°C, while projections for 2030 predict an increase that would reach 1.5°C.” Consequently, he added, “the climate issue is on the agenda of the highest international authorities and is present in all national policies.”
“The IPCC does not merely establish a state of affairs; it also proposes adaptation measures to States, accompanying them with scientific data to curb greenhouse gas emissions and help countries develop their resilience capacities in the face of climate change,” he specified.
The IPCC has also highlighted the historical responsibility of industrialized countries in this matter. “Up to 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated by 10% of the world’s population with the highest incomes. Yet, we face a climate injustice as it is the developing countries, not responsible for global warming, that bear the brunt of its harmful effects,” explained Professor Yassaa.
Therefore, developing countries, particularly African states, are calling to restore climate justice and implement financial compensation from the countries responsible for global warming.
“At Cop27 in Sharm-El-Sheikh in November 2022, developing countries secured the creation of a special fund dedicated to compensation for losses and damages related to climate change for the first time,” he recalled.
Negotiations under the Paris Agreement on climate change are ongoing to fund various funds, particularly the adaptation fund. However, for the time being, the expert warns that “financing flows are far from the stated objectives, namely, 100 billion dollars per year to assist the most vulnerable countries against the climate threat. That is why developing countries must maintain mobilization and claim their right to be supported in the fight against climate change.”