South Sudan Urges Urgent Action and Increased Funding at COP29 to Combat Climate Change

At the resumed High-Level Segment of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, South Sudan’s Minister of Environment and Forestry, Josephine Napwon Cosmos, called for immediate action and enhanced financial assistance to address the urgent impacts of climate change in her country.

In her address to global leaders on Tuesday, Napwon asserted that South Sudan is among the nations most vulnerable to climate change effects. “South Sudan is reeling from severe flooding that has affected over 3 million people, leading to internal displacement and loss of livelihoods,” she stated.

She highlighted the dire situation facing the nation, pointing to recurrent droughts, extreme heat, and erratic rainfall patterns that have resulted in widespread crop failures. “Consequently, over 60% of our population is now classified as food insecure,” she added.

Emphasizing the need for resilience building among affected communities, Napwon stressed that this goal can only be achieved with adequate climate finance. “This priority cannot be accomplished without sufficient climate financing. Therefore, it is imperative that we agree on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) at COP29,” she remarked.

She further noted that the current commitment of USD 100 billion is insufficient, advocating for a new funding target in the trillions and for simplifying access to these essential resources.

South Sudan is also pressing for urgent action on the issue of loss and damage caused by climate impacts. Napwon called for the establishment of a fully operational fund to compensate affected populations, emphasizing, “We need to expedite the sustainable capitalization and operationalization of this fund to ensure those impacted can receive necessary support.”

Addressing the critical issue of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, the minister underscored the importance of collective action. “Our current trajectory indicates a potential 3.5-degree Celsius rise in global temperatures, and we are falling behind in our efforts to mitigate climate change,” Napwon stated.

To keep the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius alive, she urged developed nations and major emitters to increase their ambitions and significantly cut emissions.

Napwon also highlighted South Sudan’s potential in carbon trading, urging for the swift conclusion of negotiations on Article 6, which deals with carbon markets. “Home to the largest wetland in Africa, the Sudd, over 30% of our land is covered by forests with substantial carbon sequestration capabilities,” she elaborated.

With many vulnerable citizens looking to COP29 for positive outcomes that would enhance their livelihoods, Napwon reaffirmed her country’s commitment to negotiating in good faith. She expressed readiness to find common ground on the challenging issues posed by climate change, stating, “Our environment demands that we change our attitudes and adopt ambitious nature-based solutions by actively protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring degraded ecosystems that support our food, water, energy, wealth, and livelihoods.”

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) serves as a pivotal platform where world leaders, negotiators, scientists, and climate advocates come together to discuss and forge policies to combat climate change. The conference aims to advance the global objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement, targeting a limit on global warming to well below 2°C, ideally to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels.