The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) officially launched on May 11, 2023 its Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) in the presence of senior federal and regional government officials, ministerial portfolios, key development partners, funding agencies, resident diplomatic corps, climate change advocates, the media crew, and other invited guests at the Friendship Square in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS has been developed in tune with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change adopted in 2015 which encouraged countries to produce an LT-LEDS, as a roadmap for long-term decarbonization to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature.
The overarching objective of Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS strategy is to help the GoE to pursue a green growth pathway by keeping its carbon emissions target to net-zero by 2050 -entailing an increased climate resilience and delivery of multiple economic and social benefits.
Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS is firmly aligned with its national long-term development objectives and initiatives including the Ten-Year Perspective Development Plans (2021-2030) and further plays an important role in driving the alignment of the NDCs and near-term actions with longer-term Paris Agreement goals.
The Ethiopian LT-LEDS development process was led by the Ministry of Planning and Development (MoPD) of the GoE. The MoPD established an LT-LEDS multi-sectoral Steering Committee to provide overall guidance and endorse the process and development of the LT-LEDS. GGGI Ethiopia provided technical assistance with the fund secured from the Agence Française de Development (AFD) since May 2021.
The launching event was officially opened by the day’s guest of honor, H.E Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He noted that the devastating impacts of climate change is widely felt in all parts of the country. He added that the GoE has taken climate change as one of the development agenda, and accordingly, building climate resilient green economy has become of a paramount priority to the GoE.
“Unless the issue of climate change is integrated in our development agenda and properly addressed, it is hardly possible to escape poverty and ensure the much-aspired rapid economic growth and sustainable development,” he said. In this regard, Mr. Demeke underscored the need to mobilize financial resources for the scrupulous implementation of Ethiopia’s green growth initiative and LT-LEDS strategy.
The Deputy Premier indicated that Ethiopia has already joined the global efforts in combating the impacts of climate change by adopting its home-grown Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) spearheaded by H.E Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. He noted the experiences and success of the GLI is exemplary to other developing countries and is worth emulating and replicating.
In her opening remarks earlier, H.E Dr. Fitsum Assefa, Minister of MoPD stated that Ethiopia is now grappling with the devastating impacts of climate change. Thus, it is timely and indispensable, for the GoE to adopt LT-LEDS in a bid to offset the prevailing existential threats being posed by climate change.
“We officially launched today the LT-LEDS strategy ahead of the majority of other signatory countries, which is the sheer manifestation of the GoE to the global commitment. The LT-LEDS will serve as a roadmap for the decarbonization initiative of the country over the next 30 years,” she said.
The Minister thanked all sectoral government offices, local and international organizations which engaged in the development process of the LT-LEDS strategy. She also praised GGGI Ethiopia for its unflinching technical supports, and the French government, for its financial assistance (through the Agence Française de Development (AFD) ) to make the development of Ethiopia’s LT-LEDS a tangible reality.
Following the welcoming and opening remarks, presentation was made under the theme “An overview of the LT-LEDS and its Governance,” by H.E Mr. Sandokan Debebe, State Minister of MoPD.
Also, a high -level panel discussion was held engaging H.E Dr. Fitsum Assefa, H.E Mr. Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance (MoF), Mr. Okechukwu Daniel Ogbonnaya, GGGI Ethiopia Country Representative and Prof. Woldeamlak Bewket from Department of Geography and Environment (AAU), as panelists.