The director of Planning and Co-operation at the Ministry of Land and Environment, Francisco Sambo, warned that the country is facing a lot of external pressure and runs the risk of losing access to funding in some areas if it continues to exploit natural resources without observing certain international obligations.
“Although the country is sovereign, its dependence on external support puts us in a situation where if we don’t comply with international obligations [to reduce the emission of polluting gases], we run the risk of losing funding in other areas,” he explained, quoted by Lusa on Wednesday 3 July.
According to the official, the international community is demanding that Mozambique reduce the exploitation of coal and gas, two of its main polluting resources, adding that major investments could be at risk, especially in the agricultural sector.
According to the director, the warning did not come directly from the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, but from organisations that obtain funds from multilateral financial groups.
“There are various obligations under the framework convention on climate change that are not binding, and the country is sovereign and may or may not fulfil them, but for developing countries, the risk is greater, because if they don’t fulfil a certain mandate, there are mechanisms used to put pressure on them and the easiest way is to cut off funding,” he argued.
However, he stressed that the government is looking for solutions to this issue, and is currently encouraging the adoption of technology to reduce emissions during the exploitation of coal and gas, so that pollution can be minimised.
“We have the gas, but we need the technology and financial means to implement mechanisms that produce fewer polluting gases. Gas is the basis of Mozambique’s development. Without its exploitation, the economy could be vulnerable,” he emphasised.
