West has moral obligation to help Africa

A Lithuanian government minister spoke of a “moral obligation” on the part of the West to help Africa combat climate change.

“It is a political problem and a challenge for us as developed societies and rich societies in the West to persuade our citizens to give a certain amount of funding to the most vulnerable and the most in need,” Lithuanian Environment Minister Simonas Gentvilas said in an interview with The Egyptian Gazette.

“It’s to be discussed [at COP27] and that’s why we are here. There’s a moral obligation,” Gentiles added.

“As a member of European Union, Lithuania is completely committed to climate action,” he said.

“We have a continent which not only has nationally determined contributions (NDCs) but also legislative sanctions for member states,” he added.

Lithuania strongly believes in the importance of financial-technology (FinTech) solutions for Africa and other continents, the minister said.

“We are also very much looking forward to more partnerships in green hydrogen, which is also a topic of interest for Egypt,” the minister added.

The minister is to sit on panels to discuss green hydrogen and a global solution for energy for industry.