NIAS AFRICA STUDIES

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CWA # 1167, 19 December 2023
NIAS AFRICA STUDIES
COP28 and Africa: Priorities and Initiatives

  Nithyashree RB

COP28 and Africa: Priorities and Initiatives
Nithyashree RB

Between 30 November and 12 December, the COP (Conference of Parties) 28, the 28th annual global-level gathering focusing on climate action, was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The African Group of Negotiators (AGN) chaired by Zambia negotiated on behalf of the African continent. Some of the notable African leaders who were present in COP28 were Senegalese President Macky Sall, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kenyan President William Ruto.

Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change despite contributing minimal global emissions. Several African countries are vulnerable to climate change as they lag in implementing adaptation measures and building resilience. Africa’s priorities for COP28 revolve around crucial issues including energy transition and funds. 

Africa’s priorities in COP28
Before COP28, the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN), the Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa and the Africa Climate Summit set the tone in forging an African Common Position on Climate Change for COP28. The Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Ephraim Mwepya Shitima, proposed six major priorities on which the African Common Position was based. They included accelerated climate finance, global stocktake, adaptation, operationalise loss and damage fund, just energy transition and the grant of special needs and circumstances status to Africa. 

First, Africa’s energy dilemma. According to Al Jazeera, 600 million Africans have no access to electricity and 900 million lack access to clean cooking methods. While COP28 discussed the need to transition away from fossil fuels, African countries argue for accelerating fossil fuel production and reinvesting the gains in green energy. African countries reason that the developed countries have utilised fossil fuels and hence they too should be granted an opportunity. However, despite gaining from oil, countries like Nigeria failed to reinvest in green energy. AGN suggest that developed countries cease investing in fossil fuels and let developing countries use and invest in fossil fuels. 

Second, Africa’s climate finance disparity. In COP26, developed countries renewed a 2009 pledge that promised USD 100 billion in annual climate finance for developing countries. In 2020, only USD 83 billion was provided. Africa needs over USD 500 billion to achieve adaptation measures by 2030 while only USD 11 billion was delivered in 2020. According to Brookings, Africa received 20 per cent of global adaptation finance flows in 2021-2022 compared to the 45 per cent received by the Asia Pacific. According to the European Centre for Development Policy Management, the climate finance gap in Africa is between USD 200 to 400 billion annually through 2030. 

Initiatives and collaborations in COP28
At COP28, several initiatives were launched including the establishment of green banks, greenhouse gas trading systems, public-private partnerships, transformative financing measures such as green bonds and sustainability-linked instruments and new funding pledges. 

First, loss and damage fund and climate finance commitments. The EU pledged USD 245 million, the UK pledged USD 50.5 million, the US pledged USD 17.5 million and Japan pledged USD ten million towards the loss and damage fund. Some of the African Development Bank's (AfDB's) initiatives include the establishment of green banks which have the potential to raise USD 1.5 billion in climate financing by 2030 beginning in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco and Egypt; the launch of the Climate Action Window to mobilise USD four billion towards climate adaptation to 37 low-income African countries; Africa Climate Risk Insurance Facility which will provide climate impact insurance to farmers. 

Second, advancement in sustainable development initiatives. Other major developments include the Just Energy Partnership between the US, EU, UK, France, Germany and South Africa, the establishment of advanced warning systems for floods, droughts, cyclones, and harvests in 20 African countries, and the announcement of the new Emerging Market Climate Action Fund (EMCAF) by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI). Several African countries declared new renewable energy projects such as Ethiopia and Sierra Leone’s wind farm initiatives supported by the UAE and the UK respectively. Angola announced a solar plant that can provide electricity to 90,000 homes supported by the UAE. Tunisia pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2050. Uganda announced a 20-megawatt solar project aided by the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund. Nigeria announced that it will launch 100 electric buses.  

Third, public-private partnerships and initiatives. Several public-private partnerships were also announced at COP28. African and Middle Eastern leaders launched the USD ten billion SAFE initiative by the Green Growth Institute to combat food insecurity. Multilateral Development Bank (MDBs) such as AfDB, the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Fund for Agricultural Development pledged aid to develop Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs). 

About the author

Nithyashree RB is a Postgraduate Scholar at Stella Maris Collge, Chennai.

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