Addis Ababa: Ministry of Planning and Development stated that Ethiopia has made significant strides in tackling climate change impacts. Africa Climate Policy Center and Addis Ababa University in collaboration with various partners hosted the Fifth Africa Climate Talks at the UNECA Headquarters in Addis Ababa today. In his opening remarks, Planning and Development State Minister Seyoum Mekonnen noted Ethiopia's commitment to tackling climate change through effective actions. He urged all signatories of the Paris Agreement to uphold their pledges to support developing nations in mitigating climate change impacts. He underscored Ethiopia's achievements in this area, saying "My country is working on climate change. We believe Ethiopia is truly walking the talk." Ethiopia's 10-year development plan (2021-2030), a cornerstone of its Home Grown Economic Reform Agenda, prioritizes climate resilience and a green economy. According to him, this plan positions these objectives as fundamental pillars for the nation 's development trajectory. The state minister elaborated on Ethiopia's long-term low emission and climate resilient strategy, which outlines a path towards achieving net-zero emissions and building a climate-resilient economy by 2050. Ethiopia also envisions the creation of nearly 6,850 green jobs annually over the next three decades, he stated. Noting that Ethiopia's allocated significant financial investment on climate change actions, Seyoum stated that a national stocktake on climate change revealed that the nation invested over 82 billion USD in climate action initiatives between 2011 and 2019. Most of the funds were mobilized from domestic investment, followed by institutional finance supporters. Based on the stocktake's recommendations, Ethiopia is now undertaking a comprehensive reform process, encompasses institutional policies, resource mobilization strategies, knowledge-sharing mechanisms, and robust stakeholder engagement and coordination. As part of its Green Legacy Initiative, the country h as planted several billions of seedlings and a target is set to reach 50 billion by 2026. The country has also planned to link its Green Legacy initiative with other similar initiatives in the African continent, the state minister stated. Source: Ethiopian News Agency