Commonwealth Fights Climate Change with Ancient Wisdom and Emerging Technologies
By Iminza Keboge
Published October 8, 2019
A regenerative climate change model that marries the ancient wisdom of indigenous groups with emerging innovations, technologies and scientific approaches is the latest weapon against the vagaries of climate change.
RELATED: HARNESSING INSTEAD OF SUPPRESSING INFORMAL TRADE CAN BOOST AFRICA’S ECONOMIES
The Commonwealth bloc has brought together Government officials, environmentalists, scientists, economists, and representatives from indigenous groups from its 53-member countries at its headquarters in London, England, to discuss how the initiative, known as Common Earth, can achieve sustainable development while protecting the planet.
Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General, says of Common Earth: “It is about a development model that takes into account the ancient wisdom of the indigenous peoples that found a way to live in harmony with their environments, and integrates it into our scientific advances and solutions to climate change. And it is a model I will take to ministers in our upcoming trade and finance summits and heads of governments at their meeting” in Rwanda 2020.
RELATED: AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS AND INVESTORS DISCUSS DECLINING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
“When we talk about regenerative economies we are looking at cycles of growth transformation; We are looking for ways to bring ecological systems back into full health and blossoming, and figuring out how our economies can meet all our needs, while nature flourishes,” says Stuart Cowan, an economist, while explaining how Common Earth, that is based on regenerative economic models, will work. “So as we think about climate change the health of living systems is critically important. The way we use our land, grow our food and design our cities and transportation systems can reduce carbon emissions rapidly and efficiently.”
RELATED: AFRICAN WOMEN HONOURED FOR MAKING EXCEPTIONAL IMPACT IN THEIR COUNTRIES
It is anticipated that Common Earth will create a network of projects that could be replicated and adapted to any community, country or region.
With the Common Earth initiative that looks ‘at practical, existing strategies to clean streams, restore forests and damaged ecosystems, protect marine health, educate our populations and challenge the economic and development approaches that led to the decline of our planet’, Baroness Scotland says the battle against climate change just began: “It is not game over in the battle against climate change; it’s game on.”
RELATED: GENDER EQUITY CENTRAL TO KENYA’S DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
