Climate representatives gather in Kinshasa to prepare COP27

Climate representatives from more than 40 countries are gathered in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa, to discuss a common position ahead of the COP27 meeting scheduled for November in Egypt.

The Congolese prime minister led calls on Monday for a surge in funding to stop global warming and fight its impacts.

"I hope that the discussions will include the cases of the leading forces, the result of which has been some European countries returning to the use of polluting energy sources they had previously banned in order to avoid the incalculable consequences of an energy deficit imposed on them by the war in Ukraine", said DRC Prime-Minister Jean Michel Sama Lukonde.

The Congolese environment minister reminded participants that the continent had contributed little to climate change.

"Africa is in a dilemma, when we are responsible for only 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, what to do in the circumstances? Exploit our resources and feed our children and grandchildren or question these resources by letting our children and grandchildren die of hunger? ", asked Ève Bazaiba Masudi, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of the DRC.

As the host country of COP27, Egypt has made implementing the pledge to curb global warming the priority of the November summit.