Africa-Press – Eswatini. The climate crisis came into sharp focus in Belem as world leaders confronted numbers that can no longer be ignored. Africa contributes less than 4 percent of global greenhouse emissions, yet carries the heaviest climate burden. For Eswatini alone, delivering its climate commitments will require over E40 billion, while the global need stands at an estimated E36 trillion.
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini delivered Eswatini’s national statement on behalf of His Majesty King Mswati III with clarity, courage, and a firm belief that meaningful action is still within reach.
Standing before the 2025 Climate Change World Leaders Summit, the PM reminded delegates that while the figures paint a stark picture, they also fuel Eswatini’s determination to lead with solutions rather than fear. The Kingdom, he said, refuses to let its minimal contribution to global warming define its future. Instead, Eswatini is anchoring its response in resilience, innovation, and strong community participation.
He highlighted the country’s strengthened NDC 3.0 goals, which weave together adaptation, mitigation, and social inclusion. Already, Eswatini is driving practical action on the ground: watershed protection, reforestation, climate-smart agriculture, and integrated water resources management. These homegrown solutions strengthen rural livelihoods, safeguard ecosystems, and prepare communities for a climate-shifting world.
But the PM also stressed that ambition needs fairness. Accessing global climate finance remains complex and restrictive for developing nations. With Eswatini’s climate response requiring over E40 billion, he called for a global financing system that truly reflects the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. He urged richer nations to honour commitments, reform multilateral development banks, expand concessional financing, and ensure that climate action does not come at the expense of people living in poverty.
He further underscored Eswatini’s bold choice to transition away from fossil fuels. This shift, he insisted, must be just. It must create thousands of jobs, expand access to affordable renewable energy, and strengthen local value chains so communities benefit directly from the country’s climate pathway. A just transition, he said, leaves no nation, no community, and no youth behind.
In closing, the Premier called for unity, courage, and equity. He reminded delegates that climate action must be truly inclusive, welcoming all global partners, including the Republic of China, Taiwan. He affirmed that Eswatini arrives at the global table not as a victim of climate injustice but as a country ready to co-create solutions grounded in African values and the people-centered spirit of the Tinkhundla system of governance.
Eswatini left the summit with a message of hope: the future can still be shaped for the better, but only if the world chooses fairness and acts with urgency. And the Kingdom stands ready to play its part.
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