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Sifelani Tsiko, Environment Editor
African leaders joined the global community in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the annual UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28). The leaders took advantage of this gathering to amplify the voice of African countries aimed at denouncing the injustice of little funding to fight the effects of climate change as well as highlighting the continent’s challenges, opportunities and responses to climate change.
The African Common Position on Climate Change for COP28 was fine-tuned and endorsed after continent — wide consultative meetings. The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) said the continent’s six main priorities at the negotiations revolved around: Climate finance; Global stock take; Strengthening adaptation actions; Operationalisation of the Loss and Damage fund; Just energy transition; and Africa’s quest to be granted the special needs and circumstances status.
In this report, we capture the voices of African leaders at the climate summit as it takes a hard look at the state of the planet, the robust debates, the processing and debating of thousands of documents on climate issues to unpack the tougher challenges at the moment. As the 28th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP) ends, Africa is still grappling with the deadly impacts of global warming — back-to-back droughts, floods, massive displacements due to extreme weather, massive loss of biodiversity and numerous other problems.
Africa is responsible for less than five percent of global emissions but is disproportionately affected by negative climate change impacts. All this makes fighting climate effects urgent and critical for the survival of this continent of more than 1 billion people.
“No country can adapt to or mitigate these impacts alone . . . This is critical to ensure that vulnerable communities and workers in traditional industries are not left behind and that the transition benefits all, while also creating decent green jobs and promoting social and economic stability. The global economic system, the ways we produce and consume, and the resources we use to support economic growth must all undergo drastic changes in order to meaningfully implement the goals of the Paris Agreement,” said President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“African countries are among the most vulnerable to the effects of a rapidly changing climate and have to adapt and build resilience within the context of historically low levels of development and severely limited capacity…. There can be no substitute for new, predictable, at scale and appropriate public finance to support and help developing economy countries build climate resilience. After all, many of them were not even responsible for the damage to the climate as we see it now,” said South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa
“The Nairobi Declaration (adopted at the September 2023 Africa Climate Summit in Kenya) must remain our credo. Africa’s opportunity lies in speaking as one,” said African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.
“We see the growing importance of green and sustainable growth in Africa and of innovative partnerships to ensure climate finance . . The oceans and marine resources have a crucial role to play in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Given their potential, the blue and green economies constitute a potent catalyst for sustainable development on our continent,” said Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros and sitting chair of the African Union.
“Africa remains behind in the adaptation process because it benefits very little from concessional financing and green investments. As a result, African countries are going into heavy debt to finance their green projects, which constitutes a double punishment for the continent that pollutes the least. Africa is not asking for a special favour but a fair and equitable approach to the fight against global warming,” said Senegal President Macky Sall.
“It’s important to enhance actions of building resilience and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change. It is imperative that climate finance is made available and accessible to developing countries,” said Botswana President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi and chair of the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC).
“Putting in place a global goal on adaptation framework is a matter of urgency, not choice. We must match our intentions with our actions, and we must act now. The decision is therefore ours to adhere to science or face the consequences,” said Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“With Africa’s energy deficit and reliance mainly on fossil fuels, especially diesel, the implication is that Africa will be forced to export raw commodities again into Europe, which will further cause de-industrialisation of Africa. Africa could lose up to $US25 billion per annum as a direct result of the EU Carbon Border Tax Adjustment Mechanism. Africa has been short-changed by climate change; now it will be short-changed in global trade. Because of weak integration into global value chains, Africa’s best trade opportunity lies in intra-regional exchanges, with the new Africa Continental Free Trade Area estimated to increase intra-Africa exports over 80 percent by 2035,” said African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi Adesina.
“As we convene here in Dubai, we must appreciate that the presence of almost 200 nations speaks volumes about the magnitude of this global event and what it stands for. This gathering is a testament to the universal recognition that among the multitude of global challenges confronting us today, climate change stands out as, by far, the defining issue of our era. COP28 underscores our shared commitment to confront, with unwavering resolve, a challenge that transcends borders, impacts every facet of human existence and well-being, and demands a concerted global response as a matter of grave urgency,” said Kenya President William Ruto.
Bongani Ndlovu