CAPE TOWN, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Developed nations must commit meaningful financial resources to the climate fight if progress is to be achieved, according to a statement issued by the South African parliament on Friday.
The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa's National Assembly acknowledged the progress being achieved in the debates during the proceedings at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijani, from Nov. 11 to 22.
COP29 has debated climate resilient programs, sustainability and energy goals. However, according to the parliament's statement, on the second last day of the conference, reports indicated that all countries had rejected the climate finance draft.
The statement quoted Supra Mahumapelo, chairperson of the committee, as saying that developed nations need to own up to the impact their advanced industries had on causing temperatures to rise by putting undesirable gases, like carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, into the atmosphere.
"We all want to live in a cleaner world but reality now needs to set in with the West. Someone must take full accountability for the over-reliance of their industries on fossil fuels and other undesirable gases into the atmosphere. While they talk of cutting additions of carbon from the atmosphere, their actions do not align with their words," said Mahumapelo.
"We would like to remind all parties at COP29 that serious commitment is needed if the world is to keep temperatures rises below 1.5 degrees by 2050. For so long as they refuse to commit financial resources, it would be more impossible for small players like South Africa not to use their coal reserves for energy," he added. ■