Climate change: France calls for global action

CLIMATE CHANGE | PARIS SUMMIT

France has called for action against the changing climate, following a summit organised in its capital Paris this week, and awareness drives in different countries, including Uganda.

Climate Change is caused by emissions such as carbon dioxide from production processes, which trap heat escaping to the atmosphere, thereby causing global warming. The warming of the earth disrupts rainfall patterns and also melts the ice on mountain tops like the Rwenzori.

The Ambassador of France to Uganda, Stephanie Rivoal, pointed out that for the last 25 years, scientists did not stop their effort to alert us about climate change and the extinction of species.

Rivoal said many indicators show that it is already too late to resurrect animals, insects, fauna and flowers. And that the indispensable bee is at risk. She said without it, the human population will become extinct.

"However, the world has not reached a point where it is impossible to reverse climate change and what is needed is action against the changing climate," she said.

"We are not there yet. There is still time. Time for action," she said, adding that there is no place better than home and that there no other planet that is better than the Earth. "Today more than ever, there is no place like Home, there is no Earth than our planet."

She was speaking on Tuesday during an occasion organised to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at her residence  at Nakasero, Kampala.

The event was organised by the French embassy to commemorate the Paris Agreement, which was signed during the Conference of Parties (COP21) on Climate Change. 

In addition, a documentary titled, Home was screened and watched by invited guests - government officials, civil society and the media.

The Ambassador called for Action against Climate Change in order to save humanity, particularly the most vulnerable populations. 

"The whole of humanity is affected, especially the most vulnerable populations. Because Climate change adds injustice to injustice, adds poverty to poverty, adds insecurity to insecurity," Rivoal said. "It affects particularly those who are already most fragile and vulnerable."

One Planet launched
As part of the commemoration, the French President Emmanuel Macron, launched the One Planet Summit in Paris to highlight the first concrete results of the agreement and to go forward with concrete solutions, projects involving the actors of finance to contribute, according to Rivoal. The One planet Summit was organised by the French Government and the United Nations.

Climate change roadmap and Trump
The French Ambassador also commented about the withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement after the election of Donald Trump. "The question is: will it seriously affect the roadmap of the actions to be taken by one of the most polluting countries in the world?

"This political decision will not change the development of low-carbon technologies and the transformation trend of the global climate governance," she said.

At the Global Climate Change talks on November 17th, Macon said Europe should fill the gap left by the US funding.