As the summit goes into its second week, complex issues with anxiety growing over conference outcomes
Poor and vulnerable countries need reassurance that Cop30 will produce agreement on a just transition, and more support from rich countries for adaptation efforts in the developing world, the Burkina Faso negotiator Princess Abze Djigma has told the Guardian.
“We need predictable finance,” said Abze, a descendent of the legendary warrior princess Yennenga, who lived in the 12th century and is considered the forebear of the Mossi people. “We need grant-based finance, because countries like mine, the least developed countries, we are facing a big debt burden. Some countries are paying more to service debts than to build schools or health services.”
In an investigation of climate finance, the Guardian has found that a large proportion of climate finance is still being provided in the form of loans rather than grants, though it is hard to establish how much countries are paying in interest or repayments.
“It’s taking money out [of poor countries’ budgets] that could go to more schools, more sanitation, more health services, more development,” said Abze. Countries were also still feeling the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, she added. “We still haven’t recovered completely from the slowdown of the economy.”
