President Michael D.

Higgins of Ireland has emphasised the urgent need for global collaboration to tackle the intertwined crises of climate change, mounting debt, and food insecurity in Africa.

He said this in a powerful address during the 2024 Kofi Annan Eminent Speakers Lecture. "The Global North is responsible for 92% of overshoot emissions, that is the damage caused by climate breakdown," Higgins, declared. "Global south renewable energy is receiving 40 times less public finance than the fossil fuel sector," he added.

The hybrid event, organized by the African Development Bank Group's African Development Institute, also featured Dr.