Addis Ababa, April 26/2024 (ENA) PM Abiy Ahmed has unveiled plans to construct modern, clean, and dignified public restrooms, with a strong emphasis on community involvement in their construction. According to Office of the Prime Minister, the initiative named 'Clean Ethiopia,' includes a fundraising component under the theme 'Clean Cities – Healthy Lives.' On his part, Prime Minister Abiy posted on X: “As we embark on this new initiative, I call upon all Ethiopians to contribute their share in creating cities that are conducive for everyone.”    

Addis Ababa, April 25, 2024 (ENA) The Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan, Jemal Beker along with Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has launched the “Ethio-Pakistan Fraternity Under Green Legacy” initiative at the University of Sialkot, Pakistan. In its press release sent to ENA today, the embassy said that this Green Legacy Initiative will be instrumental for fostering fraternity between Ethiopia and Pakistan.   Ambassador Jemal and Coordinator to the Prime Minister Pakistan on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Romina Khurshid Alam launched the initiative in presence of government officials, religious community, businessmen, academia students, civil society and media, according to the press release. The initiative was launched as part of collaboration among the embassy of Ethiopia, Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and the University of Sialkot, it was indicated. More than 200 plants of different indigenous species were planted under the “Ethio-Pakistan Fraternity Under Green Legacy” Initiative which was followed by a climate walk in the town which was participated by a large number of people. Currently, Ethiopia has embarked on an ambitious campaign of planting billions of trees every year in an effort to achieve a greener and cleaner environment and tackle the adverse effects of the climate crisis. As part of the ambitious Green Legacy Initiative to plant 50 billion trees in two phases, so far the country has planted more than 32.5 billion trees through the initiative launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019 Addressing the launching ceremony, Ambassador Jemal Beker expressed gratitude for the Government of Pakistan for joining hands with the Ethiopian embassy for fostering brotherhood and fraternity between the two big nations. “Today we gather here not only to save the planet earth but also to connect the two big and historic nations, the heirs of civilizations and protectors of the rule-based world order while fighting together the global challenges such as terrorism and climate change,” the Ambassador remarked. Ambassador Jemal recalled the recent flash flood that brought devastation to Pakistan’s shore which he had personally witnessed during his visit to tent cities in Sindh. “Climate change is an existential threat that will not spare any place or area on this planet earth if we did not come together to combat this challenge which is not a problem for only Pakistan or Ethiopia but the rest of the world,” he said. To this end, he said the embassy of Ethiopia launched the Green Legacy Initiative to contribute to the efforts of the Government of Pakistan towards a greener and cleaner future for the next generations. He further stated that the Ethiopian embassy along with other stakeholders would do massive plantations throughout the week in other major cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura and others. “Our efforts in this regard are completely aligned with the vision of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who transformed Ethiopia under his Medemer philosophy which strongly advocates for aligning all the resources to provide home grown solutions to the home grown problems,” the ambassador stressed. Jemal added Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed mobilized the whole nation under the Green Legacy initiative and so far, more than 32.5 billion seedlings planted across the country in the last five years which included the saplings of fruits like avocado, papaya, banana, oranges, olives and many others. Likewise, coffee, animal feed and floral plants were also planted, taking us closer to our target of 50 billion seedlings until 2025. In addition to that, more than 150,000 nurseries were set up in the country as well as over a million jobs. Speaking on the occasion, Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Romina Khurshid said she was delighted to make a formal announcement regarding the collaboration between the embassy of Ethiopia in Islamabad and the Ministry of Climate Change of Pakistan. She said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had accorded the approval to formalize the collaboration at bilateral level between the two countries and assured of his government's strong commitment in this regard.  

Addis Ababa, April 24/2024 (ENA) Ethiopia's Green Legacy tree-planting program is a leading example for Africa, UK Climate and Nature Africa Directorate Head said. UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Climate and Nature Africa Directorate Head, Julian P. Wright, told ENA that Ethiopia has shown progress in its seedlings planting programs since international climate conferences in Durban and Dubai.   “Ethiopia has progressed since the Durban COP in terms of planting, and a number of examples stand out. The tree planting (Green Legacy), is really good, really important in a country where forestry is a key part of the economy.” According to him, the UK has a long-standing partnership with Ethiopia on climate change initiatives and hopes that the country can successfully deliver on its ambitious commitments. The UK is a strong advocate for locally-led adaptation strategies and social protection programs to build resilience at community level, the head stated. "In Ethiopia we are big supporters of social protection; the SNP programme for example as a way of improving resilience to climate change on the ground, and locally led adaptation is key." The head said the UK has played a key role in establishing the new loss and damage fund at COP 28, aimed at assisting developing countries facing the brunt of climate change impacts. Continued collaboration between Ethiopia and its partners like the UK will be crucial in ensuring a sustainable future for the African continent, Wright noted, and promised to continue the partnership in the field between the countries. Planning and Development State Minister, Seyoum Mekonnen on his part expressed Ethiopia's desire to expand the Green Legacy program and become a renewable energy exporter in Africa. He revealed that sharing seedlings and exporting renewable energy to neighboring countries are already underway. “We are striving to connect countries in Africa through the Green Legacy program and energy transition,” the state minister added. Building a climate-resilient economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are central pillars of Ethiopia's 10-year development plan, with the ultimate goal of achieving net-zero emissions and a climate-resilient economy by 2050.  

Addis Ababa, April 22/2024 (ENA) Ministry of Planning and Development stated that Ethiopia has made significant strides in tackling climate change impacts. Africa Climate Policy Center and Addis Ababa University in collaboration with various partners hosted the Fifth Africa Climate Talks at the UNECA Headquarters in Addis Ababa today.   In his opening remarks, Planning and Development State Minister Seyoum Mekonnen noted Ethiopia’s commitment to tackling climate change through effective actions. He urged all signatories of the Paris Agreement to uphold their pledges to support developing nations in mitigating climate change impacts. He underscored Ethiopia's achievements in this area, saying "My country is working on climate change. We believe Ethiopia is truly walking the talk." Ethiopia's 10-year development plan (2021-2030), a cornerstone of its Home Grown Economic Reform Agenda, prioritizes climate resilience and a green economy. According to him, this plan positions these objectives as fundamental pillars for the nation's development trajectory. The state minister elaborated on Ethiopia's long-term low emission and climate resilient strategy, which outlines a path towards achieving net-zero emissions and building a climate-resilient economy by 2050. Ethiopia also envisions the creation of nearly 6,850 green jobs annually over the next three decades, he stated. Noting that Ethiopia's allocated significant financial investment on climate change actions, Seyoum stated that a national stocktake on climate change revealed that the nation invested over 82 billion USD in climate action initiatives between 2011 and 2019. Most of the funds were mobilized from domestic investment, followed by institutional finance supporters. Based on the stocktake's recommendations, Ethiopia is now undertaking a comprehensive reform process, encompasses institutional policies, resource mobilization strategies, knowledge-sharing mechanisms, and robust stakeholder engagement and coordination. As part of its Green Legacy Initiative, the country has planted several billions of seedlings and a target is set to reach 50 billion by 2026. The country has also planned to link its Green Legacy initiative with other similar initiatives in the African continent, the state minister stated.  

Addis Ababa April 19/2024 (ENA) Mayor of Addis Ababa Adanech Abiebe launched today a 6 months environmental protection campaign that is expected to engage 2.7 million residents of the city. The campaign organized under the theme “Stop Pollution, Beauty Awakes” will have significant role in the metropolitan city’s thrive towards reducing the adverse impact of climate change. The projects such as riverside development spearheaded by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed beautifying the capital, Addis Ababa have immense potential to making the city global tourist destination, she elaborated. Addis Ababa is endowed with various natural resources including 1,300 hectares of land restricted forest and numerous rivers, Mayor Adanech said, and urged residents to discharge due responsibility in keeping the city clean. The City Administration has planted about 60 million trees over the last couple of years through the national campaign of Green Legacy initiated by Premier Abiy, it was indicated. Addis Ababa City Environmental Protection Authority CEO, Dida Diriba said on his part that the campaign through broad community base mobilization will create awareness in environmental protection of the city.   The forest coverage of Addis Ababa has increased from 2.8 percent to 15 percent through Green Legacy Initiative following the massive tree planting carried out over the past years, he said, and added that this campaign will likewise have paramount impact. Furthermore, Dida said that the personal plastic bottle usage of the country has risen from 0.6 kg in 2007 to 2.6 kg in 2022. The authority is encouraging the use of electric vehicles towards ensuring the reduction of adverse climate change impacts. Every month is allotted to specific environmental protection including plastic bottles, weather, water, soil, and sound pollutions. Addis Ababa City Administration Council Speaker, Buzena Al-Kader and over 2,000 residents of the capital attended the launching ceremony.  

Addis Ababa April 18/2016 (ENA) A project that promotes circular economy in the textile and garment sector was launched in Ethiopia today. A circular economy (CE) approach extends the life of textile products through reuse and repair and keep end-of-life materials in the economy through recycling. The 5-year project is part of promotion of circular economy in the textile and garment sector through sustainable management of chemicals and waste underway in Lesotho, Madagascar, and South Africa, it was learned. The project in Ethiopia benefits 10 textile manufacturing facilities and additional industry stakeholders. The circular economy promotion project includes training and capacity building about sustainable chemical management and waste water management, training of local partners to scale technical expertise and on-site support at the identified facilities to implement sustainable chemical management system. Speaking during the launching ceremony, Manufacturing Industry Development Institute (MIDI) Director-General Milkessa Jagema said the project is compatible with the new Ethiopian Manufacturing Industry Policy. Noting that the sector consumes high amount of energy and chemicals causing pollution, he said a lot of mitigation mechanisms developed and implemented globally and locally have been included in the project. He furthers stated that the sector has positive contributions to Ethiopia’s economy, although it is considered as one of the most polluting sectors in the world. Therefore, “we have to follow the circular economy approach for sustainable and inclusive growth of the sector.” The project launched in Ethiopia today is funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Addis Ababa, April 17/2024 (ENA) Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged today the public to unite in order to keep cities and environment clean. The premier posted on X that plastic and waste pollution threatens the environment, ecosystems, and health. "By consuming consciously, disposing responsibly, and choosing sustainable alternatives, we can preserve our natural world for generations to come. Let's unite to keep our cities and environment clean."    

Addis Ababa, April 09/2024 (ENA) Pakistan has agreed to launch Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative in the major cities including Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi, Quetta, Sialkot and others. This was agreed upon in a meeting between Jemal Beker, Ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan, and Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Romina Khurshid Alam. Ethiopia has embarked on an ambitious campaign of planting billions of trees every year in an effort to achieve a greener and cleaner environment and tackle the adverse effects of the climate crisis. As part of the ambitious Green Legacy Initiative to plant 50 billion trees in two phases, so far the country has planted more than 32.5 billion trees through the initiative launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019. Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan Jemal lauded the role played by the coordinator of Pakistan’s prime minister on climate change and environmental coordination in initiating a joint collaboration between Ethiopia and Pakistan last year for addressing climate related issues. He recalled the launch of Green Legacy Initiative in Islamabad last year in the presence of senior ministers, government officials, diplomatic corps, business community, media and civil society. The Ambassador stressed the need for enhanced collaboration between the two countries to address climate issues through skills, technology, information and knowledge sharing. He said the government of Ethiopia stood ready to work together with the Pakistani government in addressing climate-related issues such as floods, food insecurity and others. Ethiopia would extend all-out support to Pakistan on climate mitigation through technological transfer and experience sharing, the ambassador remarked. He also congratulated Romina Khurshid Alam on assuming the charge of the Coordinator to the premier on Climate Change. On her part, Romina Khurshid Alam expressed keen interest in the launch of the Green Legacy initiative in different cities of her country. She said climate change was a global phenomenon and joint efforts against climate changes were the need of hour. The government of Pakistan is looking forward to working with Ethiopia to deal with climate change, she added.

Addis Ababa, April 5/2024 (ENA) The Ethiopian Meteorology Institute (EMI) has predicted that there will be a higher probability of rainfall in the upcoming April to May 2024, across most parts of the country. Briefing the media today, EMI Director General Fetene Teshome emphasized that the upcoming two months might witness substantial rainfall. Stressing the need for paying due diligence, Fetene highlighted the anticipated heavy rainfall and the potential risk of flooding across various regions of the country. The Belg which is considered Ethiopia's short rainy season, is expected to experience better rainfall across various regions of the country during April and May, he elaborated. According to him, these anticipated rainfalls are expected to benefit much of the seasonal rain-dependent regions of Ethiopia. Fetene also believed that the expected enhanced rainfall is likely to positively impact on Ethiopia’s agriculture, water resources, and overall livelihoods. However, the director general warned the weather condition would lead to normal to above-normal rainfall, adding that the EMI cautions about the higher risk of flash floods in vulnerable areas. These areas, including city administrations and regions of Ethiopia with unprecedented past flooding experience are urged to take necessary preparation. The Ethiopian Meteorology Institute emphasizes the importance of staying informed about weather forecasts and taking necessary steps to prepare for the anticipated conditions. Fetene further explained that by staying vigilant and implementing appropriate measures, individuals, communities, and authorities can minimize the potential risks associated with heavy rainfall and flash floods. On his part, Early Warning Division Deputy Director General Asaminew Teshome shed light on the contributing factors, stating that a combination of the Neutral-IOD (Indian Ocean Dipole) and ENSO-El Nino episode is expected. These two significant climate phenomena could lead to heavy rainfall and the possibility of flash floods. He also mentioned some of the areas that would benefit from these Belg season rainfalls. As a result, south, south east and north east parts of the country dominated under moderately wet to extremely wet weather, he said, thus, the rainfall performance has been suitable for agriculture and water sectors. The EMI will continue to monitor the weather patterns closely and provide regular updates to keep the public informed, Asaminew reaffirmed.      

Addis Ababa, March 29/2024 (ENA) Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh underlined that Ethiopia's environmental protection endeavors should involve the community in order to minimize the climate change impacts. A national public mobilization campaign that aims at combating environmental pollution and its complications was launched today. In his remarks at the launching ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh said climate change and environmental pollution have become pressing issues at the global level. Ethiopia has embarked on enormous environmental protection activities to minimize climate change negative effects and environmental pollution, he added. According to him, the country is carrying out commendable jobs to have beautiful and clean cities and develop river sides besides the Green Legacy Initiative. The deputy prime minister also mentioned other successful initiatives like the Bounty of the Basket (Ye Lemat Tirufat) and agricultural endeavors to increase production and productivity. Noting that environmental protection from pollution and waste of natural resources is a matter of existence, Temesgen pointed out that the movement will make a great contribution to pass on a clean and prosperous country to the next generation. Therefore, he stressed that all relevant parties should actively participate in the campaign. Cities are expected to build a beautiful and convenient lifestyle by properly disposing of the waste materials. The deputy premier also underscored the need to focus on reducing air, water, soil and noise pollution by involving the community. Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EEPA) Director General Lelise Neme stated on her part that the six-month campaign will focus on protecting air, soil, water and noise pollution. The launching ceremony was attended by regional chief administrators, heads of regional environmental protection bureaus, and representatives of international organizations.

Addis Ababa, March 29/2024 (ENA) Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh has launched a six-month nationwide environmental protection campaign . This campaign will be held under the guiding theme: “No More Pollution, Stimulating Beauty,” it was learned. Today’s launching program was attended by regional chief administrators, heads of regional environmental protection offices and representatives of international organizations. In his remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen underscored that Ethiopia has embarked on massive environmental protection activities. Accordingly, the nation has been implementing tremendous environmental protection works including the Green Legacy Initiative to make the cities beautiful and clean as well as to execute a riverside development. Temesgen stated that the nationwide environmental protection movement that started today is instrumental to prevent environmental pollution and strengthen the endeavors started in this sphere. He further elaborated the movement aimed at building a beautiful and convenient city by making the garbage that the cities dispose of in a proper manner. The deputy prime minister also stressed the need for introducing another nationwide movement to prevent noise pollution. He finally emphasized that we should focus on reducing air, water, soil and noise pollution by involving the community.

Addis Ababa, March 25/2024(ENA)- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed disclosed that seedlings are under preparation across Ethiopia for this year’s planting season as part of the Green Legacy Initiative. Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative is more than just planting; it is an integrated management of existing forests and biodiversity, the premier shared on X page. Prime Minister Abiy added that the Green Legacy Initiative is also crucial to restoring mass degraded landscapes and improving the ecosystem. “As we prepare for this year’s planting season ahead of us, seedlings are under preparation throughout the country,” Abiy stated. As part of the ambitious Green Legacy Initiative to plant 50 billion trees in two phases, Ethiopia successfully planted 32.5 billion seedlings to date. The initiative is a demonstration of Ethiopia’s long-term commitment to a multifaceted response to the impacts of climate change and environmental challenges, it was learned.      

Addis Ababa March 20/2024 (ENA) Sustainable and scientific environmental and natural resource protection works should be consolidated in order to ensure food security in Ethiopia, the environmental activist and expert Mengistu Wube noted. The environmental activist Mengistu Wube is a researcher and lecturer who has been publishing books and studies on food security. In an exclusive interview with ENA, he pointed out that Ethiopia has resources that could feed the region by exploiting its multi-ecological and bio-diversity potentials. In this respect, Mengistu said the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) that Ethiopia has been implementing over the past years is of immense significance. For him, the initiative is a pragmatic response and has become imperative in ensuring soil security and water conservation. According to him, environmental conservation should be widely taught in schools beginning kindergarten and the role of institutions that are bases for indigenous knowledge must be consolidated. The activist noted that land protection and use policy are crucial for sustainable natural resource conservation, adding that soil and water conservation activities play a major role in ensuring food security. Man's cruelty to natural resources has created many crises on himself, the activist stressed. In addition to the effort to reverse the looming danger of climate change on food security, Mengistu underlined that pursuing a strategy that can withstand the unprecedented impacts of the change is critical. In this regard, the special attention given to wheat production and bounty of the basket (Ye Lemat Tirufat) programs by the government have lots of hope, the activist said. The Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) has so far planted over 25 billion tree seedlings.                

Addis Ababa March 1/2024 (ENA) Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa addressed the 6th session of the UN environment Assembly (UNEA6) which is being held in Nairobi, Kenya from 26 Feb to 1 march 2024. In sideline of UNEA6, the Minister also engaged in a number of bilateral and Africa regional environmental events, according to Ministry of Planning and Development of Ethiopia. In her statement during the UNEA6 high level segment held today the minister informed the participants about the unwavering commitment of Ethiopia in addressing the triple planetary crises of our planet namely climate change and biodiversity loss. Fitsum shared Ethiopia’s successful achievements in addressing the aforementioned challenges through its Green Legacy initiative where it manages to plant 32.5 billion tree and other agroforestry seedlings in the last five years through mobilizing 25 million of its citizens annually since the launching of the initiative in 2019. The Minister also said that Ethiopia’s extended commitment for the unified voices of Africa in international environmental negotiations through her capacity of President of Africa Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) which will run for the 2024 and 2025.   Fitsum expressed her commitment to closely following up the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) and to give necessary guidance to the group for a unified voice as a continent. In her afternoon engagement during the UNEA6 today Fitsum successfully convened the AMCEN bureau meeting as of her capacity of being AMCEN President. Outstanding issues were discussed and put forward on the next steps including deciding to convene AMCEN special session on land degradation, desertification and drought in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 2-5 September 2024. The session also envisaged the preparations of Africa on UNCCD COP16 which is to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and other international engagements such as UNFCCC COP29. The Minister held bilateral meetings with representatives of Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco and Executive Secretary of UN Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD) and discussed outstanding bilateral agendas on her national capacity and being AMCEN President. In the respective bilateral meetings, the two parties agreed to closely work towards the common environmental agenda and enhancing the environmental protection agenda including through signing an MOU across different thematic areas.  

Addis Ababa February 27/2024(ENA) Ethiopia and Norway have signed a 75-million-USD agreement to reduce green gas emission from deforestation and forest degradation. The agreement was signed between Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and Norway Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen today. Speaking on the occasion, the finance minister said the agreement will enable Ethiopia to continue strengthening the work it is doing in forestry development and environmental protection. Fighting climate change and poverty reduction as well as building climate resilient economy disaster economy remain among the top priorities of the Ethiopia government, he added. According to him, the nationwide tree planting campaign under the Green Legacy Initiative by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is another manifestation of his commitment to addressing climate change. Ethiopia has invested over 82 billion USD in climate change mitigation and adaptation programs and the majority of the finance office projects and programs come from public finance supplemented with international development aid, Ahmed Shide stated. “The partnership agreement we signed today is yet another testimony of our successful collaboration and achievement during the past decade marks a new era of collaboration and partnership, including through resulted-based payment approach in the run to 2030." Ethiopia and Norway have enjoyed longstanding bilateral diplomatic relations, the minister explained, adding that their common interests include peace and security, migrate climate change, private sector development, gender equality among others. Norway Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen said the Green Legacy initiated by the government is ambitious plan to reduce adverse effect of climate change. The country has been a long standing partner of Ethiopia on climate and forest, he stated. "We were one of the first countries to fully commit our long term support for Ethiopia’s climate resilient green economy strategy when launched in Durban in 2011." And throughout this decade, Ethiopia has truly been a leader on the African continent when it comes to designing and implementing green economic development policies. Ethiopia is in many ways at the very front line of climate change, Climate and Environment Minister Eriksen noted. "I am encouraged to learn that Ethiopia has increased its forest cover due to strong government policy measures that yield the necessary results; and the ambitious target of doubling the forest cover by 2030 is very much impressive. And Norway is proud to have supported this achievement." The climate and environment minister added that Norway intends to support Ethiopia during this next phase of partnership, one which includes the continuation of the REDD+ investment program last year.

Addis Ababa February 27/2024(ENA) Ethiopia's tree planting initiative and the government's resolve to combat climate change is what the world exactly needs to avert current global challenges, a senior official at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) underscored. Recalled that Ethiopians have embarked on an ambitious campaign of planting billions of trees every year in an effort to achieve a greener and cleaner environment and tackle the adverse effects of climate crisis. So far the country has planted more than 32.5 billion trees through the Green Legacy Initiative launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019. Deputy Director General and Head of Green Growth Planning and Implementation at GGGI Helena McLeod commended the efforts of the government to reduce impact of climate change and expressed keenness to work with Ethiopia. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Helena McLeod said that Ethiopia plays a leading role in Africa in terms of climate action and that is a role the country has been meeting for many years, and we're very happy to support the government on that. McLeod, who visited Ethiopia recently, also said that Ethiopia is one of the most beautiful countries she had visited in the world. Noting that the country has been suffering from climate change, she said the tree planting program is very significant in tackling these challenges as it creates jobs and increase the fertility of the soil. Moreover, she stated that the efforts being carried out in Ethiopia will also protect cities in the proper way from flooding. "Planting trees has many different advantages, including potentially biodiversity as well. So the tree planting program and the government's ambition is exactly what the world needs and it is leading in that sense," she said. According to the deputy director, Ethiopia, as a country before and now is not emitting very much carbon. There are other countries in the world that are emitting much larger amounts of carbon and have made commitments to reduce the amount of carbon emissions. "What we trying to do in GGGI is attract climate finance to our member countries," McLeod said, adding that often our member countries don't have enough money to tackle the major challenges that are facing the economy, but also they don't have enough capacity to take advantage of the opportunities. On green bonds for instance in 2021, the organization supported Peru to issue the largest sustainable green bonds in the world at that point in history. That was for over 4 billion US dollars. Since then GGGI is working with over 20 different countries on different types of bond, sustainability bonds and green bonds. “We're going to use that experience and bring it to Ethiopia to see whether that's a mechanism where we can bring in more investment to tackle climate change, and other issues like jobs, green jobs, that can also benefit the economy.” In terms of carbon trading, this is a really high potential area to bring in some additional funding into the country and GGGI works with Ethiopia to make sure that the trade is fair for the country and its interests. “I just want to say that Ethiopia is such an important country, it's a continent leader. It has a very strong global voice. Your government is very committed with very ambitious targets, including on restoration of land, increasing yield, increasing food security and exporting crops as well. We love working with the government and we will work hand in hand with the government and the people of Ethiopia on this green growth transition.” GGGI, an international organization focused on promoting sustainable economic growth in developing countries, has been working closely with Ethiopia since it became a founding member in 2012.

Addis Ababa February 21/2024 The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) has predicted that there will be a higher probability of wetter-than-normal conditions in the upcoming March to May 2024, across most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa. In its press release sent to ENA, ICPAC said that notably, the areas expected to experience these wetter conditions include Kenya, Somalia, southern Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and north-western Tanzania. The highest probabilities for wetter than usual conditions are indicated in central to western Kenya and in the cross-border areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. The expected enhanced rainfall is likely to positively impact agriculture, water resources, and overall livelihoods, according to the center. The press release also added that an early to normal rainfall onset is expected in several parts of the region. These include parts of northern Tanzania, eastern Rwanda, Southern and Western Uganda, Western Kenya, South-western Somalia, and parts of South-central Ethiopia. " Due to the increased rainfall recorded in the October to December 2023 period, along with the forecast of wetter-than-normal conditions from March to May, there is an elevated risk of flooding in areas prone to floods,” the ICPAC director Dr. Guleid Artan noted. The director added the forecast underscores the urgency for coordinated action and preparedness, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to mitigate potential impacts and capitalize on the opportunities presented by the forecast rainfall.   He also stressed the need for uniting in our commitment to leveraging climate information for resilient and sustainable development across our region. Artan further added that, “while the food security situation may improve with wetter than usual conditions, it is important to remember the multiple challenges faced by the region, including the historic 2020-2022 drought, conflict in various parts of the region such as Sudan, and the El Nino-induced floods at the end of 2023. This has weakened communities’ coping capacity, making them highly susceptible to food insecurity. The likelihood of flooding during the 2024 MAM season in parts of the region could lead to a deterioration in food security in localized areas.” The objective temperature forecast indicates an increased likelihood of warmer than normal surface temperatures over the entire region. Probabilities for warmer than normal temperatures are most enhanced over Sudan, northern South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and southern parts of Tanzania. In line with the World Meteorological Organization's guidelines and recommendations, ICPAC has adopted an objective seasonal forecast method to generate climate forecasts for the Greater Horn of Africa. February 2024 initialized seasonal forecasts from nine Global Producing Centres (GPCs) were utilized and processed using three calibration techniques to develop the MAM 2024 seasonal climate outlook.  

Addis Ababa February 20 /2024 (ENA) Ethiopia is a good example in Africa where big push forward has been seen on tree planting, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen said. The UNEP Executive Director, who participated at the 37th Ordinary Summit of AU, told ENA that Ethiopia has been planting billions of trees that will fix the soil and create greater nutrients in it as a crucial and pragmatic response to mitigate the climate catastrophe in the country and beyond. The Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) being implemented in Ethiopia was launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in June 2019, and has so far planted over 32.5 billion tree seedlings. So, Andersen stated that if “we take, for example Ethiopia where a big push forward has been on tree planting. This is very interesting. It'll fix the soil and create greater nutrients in the soil. It'll also prevent landslides and get greater water absorption.” According to Andersen, these kinds of environmental programs and projects are good not only for the local but also for the global economy. And “we're very pleased to see those kinds of initiatives here in Ethiopia.” She further stated that major crises have been occurring as a result of climate change, particularly hard hitting on Africa. “Due to climate change, we are witnessing major losses on our agricultural lands and we are seeing desertification. Now these crises are particularly hard hitting on Africa. Africa did very little to cause climate change. But Africa is suffering big time,” the executive director noted. Andersen further revealed that the United Nations is supporting Ethiopia as well as the entire continent with investments with smart policy shifts. The UN is firm about the imperative of climate justice and the imperative of climate finance, the executive director underscored. She also mentioned the recent loss and damage Fund with 800 million USD, which she believes is not enough. The executive director stressed that “we need to see billions.”  

Addis Ababa, February 16/2024 (ENA) The Green Legacy Initiative of Ethiopia and its achievements should be replicated by other countries, Portuguese Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho said.   In an exclusive interview with ENA, the foreign minister said “the initiative undertaken by Ethiopia can be very interesting for us to be able to replicate the model so that the experience that is gained by Ethiopia can be used as lessons learned for other countries.” Recall that Ethiopia, through Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s initiative has planted over 32.5 billion tree seedlings since 2019.   Stating that he had a fruitful discussion with Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie, Cravinho emphasized the need to further energize the strong cooperation between Ethiopia and Portugal, that is beyond 500 years. With Foreign Minister Taye “we have identified a number of steps that we can take, including a business model to create stronger economic links between Portugal and Ethiopia. So we have a roadmap for 2024 that can bring us closer,” he stated. According to him, renewable energy and public administration in digital transition are among the potential areas where the two countries can cooperate. “We have already been strengthening our embassy here in Addis Ababa. We would like to have Ethiopian embassy in Lisbon. Not only in the fields of economy, but also in cultural exchange language, tourism. We have a lot of growth ahead.”  

Addis Ababa January 28/2024 (ENA)The First Global Cheetah Summit Kicked off in Addis Ababa today to discuss and act-on the plight of the test land animal and the most endangered of the big cats. The Summit that brought together a diverse group of international stakeholders representing governments, universities, NGOs, policy and economy institutes, local and Indigenous communities, and private enterprise from around the world will deliberate on the challenges most endangered animals and put possible solutions. The Global Cheetah summit will be held for the coming three days to discuss the challenges facing the cheetah and action steps to reverse the decline of the species throughout its range. The Summit is organized by the Cheetah Conservation Fund in partnership with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA). Today, there are less than 7,500 adult and adolescent cheetahs living in 31 populations in 23 countries of Africa and the last of the Asiatic cheetahs found in Iran with less than 25. Of these remaining populations, over two-thirds are less than 100 individuals. A research has highlighted that if nothing is done cheetah might go extinct within the next 20 years, as the majority of the cheetahs are living outside of protected areas.