Samia calls for climate action

TURKEY: PRESIDENT Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has called on world leaders to move beyond climate commitments and deliver practical, measurable results, saying the global climate response must address the growing impacts of climate change, particularly in developing countries.

“Let COP31 mark a turning point from promises to delivery, from ambition to action, and from commitments to measurable results,” she said.

Addressing the Leaders’ Summit of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, yesterday, President Samia said meaningful climate action required stronger international cooperation, adequate financing, technology transfer and capacity-building.

She said Tanzania, like other developing countries, continued to experience unprecedented climate change impacts, including prolonged droughts, unpredictable rainfall patterns and rising sea levels, with climate-related shocks estimated to cost the country between two and three per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually.

“Despite the similarities in experiencing the climate shocks, differences in national circumstances have to be recognised. It is therefore imperative that climate action must be guided by equity, climate justice and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC),” she said.

Setting out Tanzania’s priorities for meaningful climate action, President Samia identified three key areas which are delivery of adequate and predictable climate financing, energy justice and inclusive, climate-resilient development.

On climate financing, she called for increased grants and concessional financing, particularly for adaptation, alongside technology transfer and capacity-building to enable developing countries to respond effectively to climate change.

“Developing countries require increased grants and concessional financing, particularly for climate adaptation, together with technology transfer and capacity-building,” she said.

President Samia also highlighted Africa’s potential to benefit from carbon markets, pointing to opportunities in transport, waste management, renewable energy and forestry.

She said Tanzania had significant opportunities in renewable energy resources, including hydro, geothermal and wind, as well as its forests, which cover approximately 48.1 million hectares.

“What we need is transparent carbon market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to guarantee fair carbon pricing, equitable benefitsharing and environmental integrity, while supporting increasing resources for the local community actions and national development,” she said.

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On the global energy transition, President Samia said energy justice must remain central to international climate efforts, particularly in Africa, where equitable access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy remains important for development.

“For Africa, Energy justice means ensuring equitable access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy,” she said.

She said Tanzania was implementing its National Energy Compact to expand electricity access throughout the country, particularly in rural areas, while calling for increased private sector investment, affordable financing and technology transfer.

The President also emphasised inclusive and climate-resilient development, saying Tanzania’s Development Vision for the next 25 years prioritised innovation, industrialisation and sustainable economic transformation.

She stressed the importance of equipping young people with green skills and creating employment opportunities in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and climate-friendly industries.

“We are focusing on Climate actions that create opportunities for future generations,” she said.

Tanzania has continued implementing initiatives to address climate change, expand clean energy access and strengthen its capacity to respond to climate-related impacts.

Among the initiatives is securing the opportunity to host the Santiago Network regional office for Africa in Dar es Salaam.

The Santiago Network provides technical assistance to developing countries to address loss and damage associated with climate change by connecting them with relevant expertise and support to respond to climate-related impacts.

In the clean cooking sector, the country’s efforts have registered progress, with the use of clean cooking energy increasing from 6.9 per cent in 2021 to 28.6 per cent in 2025.

The progress has been supported by government interventions, including subsidies for 450,000 cooking gas cylinders and 200,000 improved cookstoves.

Additionally, 2,511 households have been connected to natural gas, while 2,616 institutions, including all 129 prisons, have adopted clean cooking energy.

The government has set a target of increasing clean cooking energy use to 80 per cent by 2034 as part of efforts to reduce dependence on traditional cooking fuels and protect the environment.

On electricity access, all 12,318 villages in Mainland Tanzania have been connected to electricity, with national electricity access increasing from 34 per cent in 2021 to 71 per cent in 2026.

The country has also completed the 2,115-megawatt Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project and the 50-megawatt Kishapu Solar Power Plant, expanding electricity generation from renewable sources.

These investments are part of broader efforts to increase access to cleaner energy, support economic development and reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal, which contribute to the loss of an estimated 300,000 hectares of forest annually.

President Samia said Tanzania remained firmly committed to the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, calling for COP31 to strengthen international cooperation in climate financing, technology transfer and capacity-building.

She said these were essential to enable developing countries to translate their climate commitments into practical interventions and achieve sustainable development.

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