Senegal's head of state and rotating chair of the African Union, Macky Sall, yesterday called for an equitable green transition that does not affect the development of African countries that emit less than they contribute to global warming.

Macky Sall therefore argued that ending carbon emissions must be done in a "reasonable timeframe" and stressed that the African continent contributes less than 4% of greenhouse gases, and yet it is the region that is bearing the brunt and cost of the climate crisis.

"We are doing green development and we often use debt to do it," warned Sall, who called for adaptation to the climate crisis to be funded by grants and donations.

Quoted by Lusa, the current president of the African Union (AU) said he believes in sharing and differentiating responsibilities, arguing that "those who pollute the most should pay the most to get our planet out of this path of climate crisis.

The Senegalese head of state advocated the importance of not remaining "in the realm of promises" but rather "acting" to save the planet and called for the implementation of the Paris Agreement (2015), reaffirming Africa's commitment to the implementation of this pact.

Africans, he stressed, "are determined to make history rather than be mere victims.

He also recalled that Africa is home to "one of the few green lungs" on the planet, the Congo Basin, which represents a quarter of the world's tropical forests capable of absorbing carbon.

COP27 started on Sunday and will take place until November 18 in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, aiming to implement the legacy of the previous COP26 in Glasgow (UK) and funding for the least developed countries in the fight against climate change.