Gov’t plans to generate 3000 megawatts of thermal energy

The Minister of Environment and Forestry Josephine Napwon said there is a plan underway to generate 3000 megawatts of power from hydro solar, wind, geothermal and natural gas.

Josephine made the statement on Tuesday during the 5th United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was held under the theme “Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”.

However, she said there is a need for financial support, capacity building, and technology transfer.

Josephine appealed to the developed countries’ parties to use more efforts to reduce their emissions by increasing their ambitions and implementing their National Determine Contributions (NDCs)

She commended the declaration on deforestation and land use at COP26 in Glasgow.

The minister said she hopes that would give access to funding for the planting of 100 million trees in 10 years to alleviate the pressures on forests

“South Sudan aligns itself with the African Group position and would like to see some achievement under the UNEA 5.2,” Josephine stated.

She stressed that for South Sudan to be able to achieve the SDGs, there is a need for long-term financing from the developed countries and development partners through capacity building, finance, and technology transfer

“There is need to embark on ambitious nature-based solutions by actively protecting, sustainably managing and restoring degraded ecosystems that are a source of food, water and energy, wealth, and livelihoods,” she said.

“South Sudan hopes that United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) would adopt resolutions that will stimulate states to intensify their efforts in addressing the unsustainable exploitation of nature and restore degraded nature ecosystems such that nature will continue to provide goods and services for the wellbeing of humanity.”

Josephine told the assembly that plastic pollution has reached an alarming state as the world’s oceans, rivers, streams, and wetlands are overwhelmed with plastic waste.

“A moratorium on the production and a ban of single-use plastic bags is to be considered to rescue aquatic life,” she stated.

She reiterated that for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals there must be a need to tackle the climate change threat.