Climate change aid should not come as loans - Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has pleaded with the developed world not to provide climate change aid in the form of loans.
The president was speaking in a virtual world leaders summit on climate on Thursday afternoon.
Ramaphosa urged the developed economies to meet their responsibilities to developing economies.
"It is important that aid on climate change should be provided separately, and should not be part of conventional development assistance.
"When it is given in the form of loan financing the debt burden of developing countries is worsened," said the president.
Ramaphosa assured world leaders that the country's emissions would begin to decline from 2025, effectively shifting South Africa's emissions to decline 10 years earlier than predicted.
"With regard to our energy resources, we plan to build capacity to generate over 17 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030," he said.
"We remain committed to contributing our fair share to reduce global emissions, and to do so in the context of overcoming poverty, inequality and underdevelopment.”
