11/11/2025
๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ก๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ก: ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ง๐ท
At the COP30 Leadersโ Summit in Belรฉm, Brazil, ๐ฏ๐๐. ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, delivered one of the most profound speeches of the conference. Her words placed Lesotho firmly on the global stage not as a small, landlocked nation, but as a champion of moral clarity and progress in the fight against climate change.
Speaking from the heart of the Amazon while echoing the spirit of Lesothoโs mountains, she called for courage, fairness, and faith in a shared future. โFor Lesotho, climate change is not abstract, it is a lived experience,โ she declared, pointing to droughts, frost, and floods that already affect every household. For least developed countries, she reminded the world, ๐ญ.๐ฑยฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ.
Despite contributing less than 0.01% of global emissions, Lesotho has shown leadership through its ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (๐ก๐๐), committing to reduce emissions by 6% unconditionally and up to 24% with international support by 2030. Guided by its Climate Change Policy, National Adaptation Plan, and Long-Term Strategy, the country is advancing adaptation across water, food systems, health, energy, and biodiversity. Examples include expanding climate-resilient water infrastructure, accelerating solar and wind energy, restoring wetlands and rangelands, and strengthening early warning systems
Her call was clear: ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. Africa, warming at twice the global rate, faces escalating costs with adaptation needs of US$70 billion annually but receiving less than US$15 billion, and loss and damage projected at US$290โ440 billion by 2030. She urged tripling adaptation finance, stronger Global Goal on Adaptation indicators, and scaling up the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.
Closing her address, she drew a powerful parallel: โThe forests of the Amazon and the mountains of Lesotho are part of one system, both vital, both vulnerable, and both deserving of protection. In Sesotho we say: a home is built by many hands. Let us protect our home, our Earth, with courage, fairness, and faith.โ
Lesothoโs voice at COP30 was a reminder that leadership is not measured by size, but by substance.
