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Nairobi — The U.S. Division of State’s Appearing Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Oceans and Worldwide Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Jennifer Littlejohn has highlighted why key environmental points equivalent to air high quality, deforestation, nature crimes, plastic air pollution, and selling a sustainable blue financial system ought to be taken critically.
Talking throughout a digital press briefing on Tuesday to debate U.S. environmental efforts in Africa, Littlejohn, who’s visiting Ghana and will probably be travelling to the United Nations Surroundings Meeting in Nairobi stated collective duty is vital in tackling the challenges.
She emphasised america’ dedication to partnering with African nations to deal with urgent environmental challenges and underscored the significance of defending the surroundings for the good thing about all folks globally.
“We’re working collectively to guard the ocean and the surroundings – for the good thing about all folks everywhere in the world,” Littlejohn said.
Throughout her go to to Ghana, Littlejohn engaged with neighborhood members and authorities officers to debate efforts to fight unlawful, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which threatens fisheries sustainability and livelihoods. She counseled Ghana’s dedication to forest conservation and highlighted initiatives just like the LEAF Coalition and Forest Carbon Partnership Facility.
“Ghana’s dedication to forest conservation is translating into tangible outcomes,” Littlejohn remarked. “The Emissions Discount Fee Settlement will make as much as 50 million {dollars} accessible for Ghana’s efforts to guard forests and cut back greenhouse fuel emissions.”
She additionally mentioned U.S. help for clear power initiatives in Ghana, together with solar-powered irrigation for smallholder farmers and help in growing hydro-solar crops. She additionally highlighted efforts to deal with well being dangers related to mercury use in artisanal small-scale gold mining.
“As well as, USAID offered technical help to the Bui Energy hydro-solar plant,” Littlejohn famous. “The plant, the primary of its type in West Africa, will put Ghana on observe to chop its energy sector greenhouse fuel emissions by 235,000 tons per 12 months.”
In response to questions from journalists, Littlejohn addressed numerous environmental points, together with plastic air pollution management in Uganda, local weather financing for nations bearing the brunt of the local weather disaster, and air air pollution in Uganda.
Concerning IUU fishing, Littlejohn emphasised the necessity for worldwide cooperation and coverage coordination to fight this international problem.
“World demand for seafood has led to elevated stress on fish shares, leading to IUU fishing,” Littlejohn defined. “IUU fishing prices the world about tens of billions of {dollars} every year.”
Waiting for the United Nations Surroundings Meeting, Littlejohn outlined U.S. advocacy priorities, together with a decision on air high quality and the launch of the Nature Crime Alliance to deal with wildlife trafficking and different nature crimes.
“Air high quality will probably be a key focus for america at UNEA,” Littlejohn said. “We are going to advocate for elevated regional cooperation on air air pollution.”
She urged the media to at all times guarantee correct reporting on environmental points.
“These are vital points,” Littlejohn emphasised. “We’d like you to assist do this.”
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