35

"A green structural transformation is needed to reduce poverty in the Least Developed Countries [LDCs] to improve their resilience and better manage, adapt and respond to climate risks," reads the Least Developed Countries 2022 report.

Structural transformations mean "a transition from low-productivity, labor-intensive economies to high value-added, higher productivity economic activities," stresses UNCTAD.

The report, which focuses on the LDCs, which include all the Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOPs), with the exception of Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea, comes days before the 27th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP), which is being held this year in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.

The UN agency's document says that LDCs, "which are already marginalized in global trade, now face worse conditions because of the environmental policies of their trading partners," which are more focused on renewable energies than fossil fuels.

"UNCTAD urges the international community to consider the interests of these countries and avoid policy measures that limit the fiscal space of these countries and increase the likelihood of 'polluting havens' being born among them," similar to 'tax havens'.

In addition, the UN experts also call for a "reboot" of climate finance and international support, regretting that the most developed countries have never fulfilled their promise to finance climate adaptation to the tune of 100 billion dollars a year for the most disadvantaged countries by 2020.

The document quoted by Lusa also advocates the adoption by LDCs of green industrial policies that accelerate the transition from carbon-intensive to low-carbon industries, which implies promoting the adoption of green technologies and innovation, as well as creating an environment that leads to better innovation and technological improvement.

To achieve this, they conclude, "green industrial policies are needed that include measures to expand the development of local entrepreneurship, increase scientific, technological and innovation skills, as well as increasing productive capacities and promoting research and development".