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High-level virtual workshop on Enhancing Capacity of Ethiopia to Address Climate Change

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: August 24, 2020- The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) co-organized a virtual workshop on Enhancing Capacity of Ethiopia to Address Climate Change. The workshop was held virtually on August 24, 2020. GGGI co-organized the workshop in collaboration with the Environment, Forestry and Climate Change Commission (EFCCC) of Ethiopia, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Center for Climate and Marine Governance of Korea University (CGCMG). The workshop falls under the Joint Collaboration Program between GGGI and the Center for Global Climate and Marine Governance of Korea University to cooperate on implementing the KOICA funded project of “Strengthening the Capacity to Address Climate Change on Forestry in Ethiopia”. The program’s implementation started on February 1, 2018 and will run through December 31, 2020. This was the third workshop organized under this program.

The workshop commenced with opening remarks from higher officials such as H.E. Prof. Fekadu Beyene, Commissioner of EFCCC, H.E. Hoonmin Lim, Ambassador to Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Republic of Korea, Woong Yeob Song, Vice President for Global Partnership, KOICA, and GGGI Director-General Dr. Frank Rijsberman. H.E. Prof. Fekadu Beyene in his opening remark, stated “following the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) implementation over the last nine years, Ethiopia is now developing its Ten years Perspective Development Plan that runs between 2020 and 2030. The Plan considers a strong momentum towards large-scale investments in irrigation agriculture, broad-based rural development, and private sector involvement, along with Ethiopia’s vision for green and resilient development, the CRGE Strategy”. Ethiopia’s CRGE has been the main platform to ensure sustainable development by focusing on several selected areas. Under the CRGE, the forestry sector has been identified as the most important sector in terms of reducing GHG emissions by addressing forest management, energy, and agriculture sectors. On other hand, in the context of post COVID-19 recovery, it is important for Ethiopia to come up with viable policy plans on how current CRGE can be used as a primary means of the Green New Deal policy.

In this context, the workshop focused on how CRGE can be further used as a means of realizing the Green New Deal, role of the International Market Mechanism under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement as a means of ensuring more climate finance and how REDD+ and other related activities can be better integrated into the process of implementation of CRGE. In addition, the workshop also discussed the possible cooperation between Ethiopia and Korean/international partners.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Frank Rijsberman in his keynote address highlighted that the project, Strengthening the Capacity to Address Climate Change on Forestry in Ethiopia, in the last three years has created an opportunity for GGGI to work more closely with academic partners of Korea University and Hawassa University in Ethiopia. Dr. Frank further explained that the project served to reestablish GGGI’s partnership with KOICA which has gone well by leading to a larger project that will support Ethiopia reforestation plan. A presentation was made by Innocent Kabenga, Country representative of GGGI office in Ethiopia, on the upcoming Climate Resilient Forest and Landscape Restoration Programme.

More than 28 participants from various ministries, experts from international organizations and academic/research institutions attended the workshop. The workshop provided a space in which various stakeholders from different organizations shared their experiences and sought for ways for collaboration and way forward.