Tanzania and EU Forge Strategic Climate Partnership in Copenhagen.

Wednesday 28th May 2025

Hon. Engineer. Hamad Yusuf Masauni
Minister of State (Union and Environment)

Par inAfrika Reporter

In the halls of the Global Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Copenhagen, a quiet but significant diplomatic milestone unfolded between Tanzania and the European Union. At the heart of it was a bilateral meeting led by Tanzania’s Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Hon. Eng. Hamad Masauni, who met with senior EU climate officials to chart a path for deeper cooperation in the global fight against climate change.

The high-level discussions brought together key figures from the EU Commission, including Wopke Hoekstra, the European Commissioner for Environment; Krzysztof Bolesta, Poland’s Secretary of State in the Ministry of Climate and Environment (standing in for the President of the EU Commission); and Christian Stenberg, Deputy Secretary General of Denmark’s Ministry of Climate, Environment, Energy, and Finance.

Tanzania, currently chairing the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), has emerged as a vocal player in global climate dialogues. And in Copenhagen, Minister Masauni made it clear that the country is not merely participating it is leading. He laid out three strategic priorities shaping Tanzania’s climate action: scaling up nature-based solutions to tackle climate change; increasing access to clean cooking energy with a bold target of reaching 80% national adoption by 2034; and strengthening the institutions tasked with managing the emerging carbon trading ecosystem in the country.

“Climate action must be inclusive, practical, and grounded in local realities,” Masauni said during the session. “Tanzania is committed to delivering on these goals, but we must also forge reliable partnerships especially with allies like the European Union to mobilize concessional financing, cutting-edge technology, and institutional capacity building.”

The meeting was more than diplomatic protocol. It was backed by technical teams and advisors, including Dr. Richard Muyungi, the President’s Advisor on Environment and Climate Change, and representatives from Tanzania’s Embassy in Sweden, as well as experts from the Vice President’s Office.

The European side responded with strong endorsement. Speaking on behalf of the EU Commission President, Mr. Krzysztof Bolesta praised Tanzania’s leadership, particularly its bold move to establish a National Carbon Centre a pioneering model in Africa’s climate space.

“Europe sees Tanzania not just as a partner, but as a leader,” said Bolesta. “We commend the government for establishing a climate innovation hub that others in the region can learn from. As the EU, we remain committed to transparency, fairness, and honoring our financial commitments to climate programs across Africa.”

He also pledged continued support for Tanzania’s initiatives, promising that the EU will work closely with the country to ensure sustainable financing and implementation of its climate priorities.

This bilateral engagement comes at a crucial time as countries gear up for COP30 and as global momentum builds around climate finance reform, carbon markets, and equitable green transitions. For Tanzania, it marks another step in aligning domestic climate ambition with international partnerships something Masauni believes is essential if developing countries are to thrive in the era of climate urgency.

“The world is watching,” he concluded. “And Tanzania is ready to rise.”

The Global Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Copenhagen, where this engagement took place, is set to conclude on May 8, 2025.