Zewde said Africa has been trying to make its voice heard on the issue for some time, calling for practical actions to succeed in those efforts. She added that Addis Ababa took the lead and stressed the importance of adopting a strong common position on this issue at the African Union (AU) summits.

“Although the summit is focused on climate change, other main issues of the continent, such as peace, security and progress need improvement, and that should also be a common position of Africans (…) as well as a movement supported by actions in terms of justice and liberation from poverty in our continent. For these achievements it is necessary to invest resources in the African Research Institute,” she said.

She reminded that Ethiopia has been affected by droughts, floods, locust swarms and other natural disasters, due to the impacts of climate change in the last ten years, a situation that has also been felt in other countries of the continent.

The President highlighted the Green Legacy Initiative, a national reforestation program launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in which 25 billion seedlings were planted and jobs opportunities were created for more than 100,000 people.

Another significant result is the growth of the agricultural sector, in which wheat production increased, turning Ethiopia into an exporter of cereal, she said.

The President thanked the AU for organizing the climate summit and the Kenyan government for hosting it.

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