Samia warns climate change costs Tanzania up to 3% of GDP annually at COP31

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has warned that her nation is facing annual financial losses of between two and three percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to climate change. Addressing world leaders at the World Leaders’ Summit during the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 11, Samia emphasized the urgent need for more accessible climate financing and support for clean energy.

Speaking about the impacts of prolonged droughts, unpredictable rainfall, and rising sea levels, she stated that these challenges are placing increasing pressure on Tanzania’s economy. Samia highlighted climate-related shocks as costing around two to three percent of the GDP annually, underscoring that developing countries, like Tanzania, often lack the resources to respond effectively.

She stressed that climate action must be guided by principles of equity, climate justice, and common but differentiated responsibilities. Key to her message was the call for adequate, predictable, and accessible climate finance, including increased grants and concessional financing for adaptation efforts, technology transfer, and capacity building.

She also advocated for transparent carbon market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, ensuring fair carbon pricing, equitable benefit sharing, and environmental integrity. This mechanism, she argued, should provide resources for local community initiatives and national development. Samia placed emphasis on energy justice, asserting that Africa’s transition to cleaner energy should ensure affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity for all.

She noted Tanzania’s efforts to expand electricity access, particularly in rural areas, and urged increased private sector investment and technology transfer. Her third priority focused on inclusive development that can withstand climate change impacts, emphasizing innovation, industrialisation, and sustainable economic transformation, including green skills and employment opportunities for young people.

Samia reiterated Tanzania’s commitment to UN climate conventions and the Paris Agreement, but called for COP31 to mark a turning point from promises to delivery, ambition to action, and commitments to measurable results.