Climate Change bill adopted

The bill was adopted recently during a plenary sitting chaired by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cavaye Yeguié Djibril.

Members of the National Assembly have adopted the bill authorising the President of the Republic to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, concluded on December 12, 2015 and signed on April 22, 2016, in New York.

The bill was adopted on Friday, June 10, 2016, after general debates on the bill during a plenary sitting chaired by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cavaye Yeguié Djibril.

The Minister of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development, Helé Pierre, assisted by the Vice Prime Minister, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Amadou Ali and the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella provided further explanations on the spin-offs of the Paris Climate Change Agreement to the MPs during the debate that ensued after the reading of the reports of the Production and Trade as well as Foreign Affairs Committees before the adoption of the bill.

Minister Helé outlined measures the government has taken to attenuate the effects of climate change. He said government is not folding its hands as a national plan of action for adaptation has been drawn up.

However, some MPs especially from the opposition SDF argued that there is no legal instrument to protect wetlands even though the SDF had submitted a private members’ bill to that effect, which was rejected.

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change adopted on December 12, 2015 and signed in New York on 22, April 2016, aims at strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, in the context of sustainable development and the efforts to eradicate poverty.

The agreement seeks to contain global temperature to below 2°C, and pursue efforts aimed at limiting increasing temperatures to 1.5°C deemed sufficient to avert hazardous climate systems disruption.

Cameroon, the bill states, has taken an engagement to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent by 2035, has to take climate change effects resilience measures such as opting for renewable energy amongst others.

The ratification of the bill according to the government manifests Cameroon’s willingness to synergise with the rest of the world, for the fight against climate change and would attract financial opportunities offered by partners in the implementation of decisions taken during the COP 21 Paris summit.