Our world is now enduring the profound consequences of climate change. Defined as a long-term shift in temperature and weather patterns, primarily driven by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, climate change is accelerating global warming by increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N20) in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The effects of climate change are far-reaching, environmental, social, and economic. For example, environmental impacts such as rising global temperature have led to more frequent and intense heat waves, glacier and ice cap melting, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and loss of biodiversity.
According to NASA, global surface temperatures have increased by over 1.1 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century. Climate change exacerbates food insecurity, water scarcity, health hazards, displacement, and forced migration. By 2050, it is estimated that up to 216 million people could become climate migrants (World Bank, 2021).
Global efforts have been taking place for the last three decades to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The most notable one is the Paris agreement, which puts an international commitment to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius.
Despite contributing less than 4% of GHG emissions, Africa bears a disproportionate burden. Its economies are heavily dependent on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and natural resource exploitation. Approximately 60% of the sub-Saharan population depends directly on agriculture for livelihood, making the region highly vulnerable to climate-induced droughts and floods.
Ethiopia formulated its Climate Resilience Green Economy (CRGE) strategy in 2011 as its national plan to achieve middle-income status by 2025 through sustainable, low-carbon economic growth while building climate resilience. The key goals of this strategy are: zero net increase in carbon emission from 2010 levels, sustain high GDP growth without compromising climate impacts such as drought and floods.
Ethiopia's muti-pillar strategy for climate resilience
The main pillars of the strategy are agriculture, forestry, power, green cities, and the environment. Hence, the agricultural development program focuses on climate-smart agriculture and promoting agroforestry. In the forestry sector, emphasis is given to reducing deforestation and enhancing reforestation. Whereas in the power sector development, massive investment in renewable energy, such as hydropower, wind, solar, and geothermal, is being undertaken.
By and large, Ethiopia’s CRGE strategy is a bold, integrated approach that combines climate action with development goals, showing how developing countries can grow sustainably while contributing to global emission reductions
‘’Green Legacy’’ is one of the initiatives of H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Since the inception of the ‘’Green Legacy’’ initiative in 2019 a total of 40 billion seedlings have been planted in the last six years. The total land covered by forest now has surged to 23.6%.
This year’s green legacy tree planting campaign is themed as ‘’Renewal Through Planting.’’ In the grand opening ceremony of the tree planting campaign in the presence of the vice president of Nigeria Kashim Shattima, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, said ‘’we will complete the Green Legacy campaign by next year. If our campaign will be accomplished according to our plan, we will declare by next year that Ethiopia will not receive any food aid from the international community.’’
The vice president of Nigeria has disclosed that Nigeria will embark on massive tree planting in the upcoming rainy seasons as part of its national reforestation and environmentally sustainable drive. According to Mr. Shattimma, Nigeria intends to plant 20 billion trees in the next rainy season.
I was overwhelmed with joy that the real economic renaissance of Africa is in the offing. Ethiopia has become a pathfinder, the front runner in us reclaiming our pride and our continent. We are mightily proud of them. The vice president said, "Ethiopia is a nation of over 100 million people; the success of Ethiopia will reverberate across the length and breadth of East and Southern Africa."
Further elaborating on the impact and importance of the Green Legacy initiative, H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed. emphasized the three most important issues. One is continuity; the Green Legacy is a comprehensive national initiative. This year alone, we aim to plant enough seedlings to bring the total to 47.5 billion. With continued commitment and participation, we aspire to reach 54 billion seedlings by next year. Second is synergy ‘’Medmer’’, more than 20 million Ethiopians are mobilized in each planting season.
This huge population worked in coordination in planting, cultivating, and protecting the seedlings to enable degraded and barren lands to rehabilitate and make the ecosystem suitable for living. The third one is planting for the future; today’s generation is sacrificing for the coming generation. Our children and grandchildren will not migrate in search of food or employment opportunities. We will make the environment more sustainable, more suitable for agriculture and tourism, so that they will be able to lead a comfortable life here at home without contemplating migrating in need of green pasture.
In conclusion, Ethiopia is not just planting trees; it is cultivating resilience, reclaiming degraded landscapes, and setting a benchmark for green development in Africa. Its CRGE and Green Legacy initiatives prove that environmental stewardship and economic ambition can go hand in hand. As the climate challenge deepens globally, Ethiopia’s leadership provides a model of transformative action for the Global South and beyond.
The writer is the ambassador of Ethiopia to the State of Israel.