Zambia Champions Green Innovation at G20 Symposium, Backs New Climate Finance Mechanism
Zambia has positioned itself at the forefront of Africa’s green transformation, with Minister of Technology and Science Hon. Felix Mutati calling for bold global action to address the continent’s growing climate challenges.
Speaking virtually at the G20 Symposium on Global Justice and Solidarity held in Cape Town, Hon. Mutati voiced strong support for the newly proposed Ecological Impact Fund (EIF), a climate finance initiative aimed at rewarding green innovation and directing funding to nations most affected by environmental degradation.
“The climate crisis is not coming; it is here,” Mutati told delegates from G20 nations, African governments, and global institutions. “Although Africa contributes the least to global emissions, we bear the highest cost.”
Zambia’s minister highlighted the country’s ongoing investments in renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and community-based resilience programs. However, he emphasized that sustainable solutions require collective international responsibility.
The minister described the EIF as a new model of partnership that prioritizes African ownership, local innovation, and the scaling of solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ecological harm.
Jointly developed by African leaders, scholars, and international experts, the EIF aims to spur the creation of green technologies, or greenovations, that directly benefit lower-income countries while addressing both climate and environmental challenges.
Hon. Mutati urged G20 leaders and development partners to support the fund and ensure that Africa’s green transition receives both financial assistance and access to vital technologies.
“This is not charity; this is justice,” he said. “Africa is ready to lead, but we need fair systems, accessible technologies, and partnerships that deliver for our people.”
The G20 Symposium is co-hosted by the South African government, the University of Cape Town, and global faith and civil society organizations. The event focuses on placing African priorities at the center of global governance, with climate action, debt relief, and food security as key topics.
