African negotiators reject COP28 outcomes
Baboki Kayawe | Tuesday December 12, 2023 12:43
The group, chaired by Zambia said there was no robust, decisive outcome on adaptation, which is the heart of the global stocktake. The global stocktake is an assessment of “where the world stands on climate action and support, identifying the gaps, and collaboration required to accelerate climate action”.
Briefing the press this morning, Zambia’s Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Collins Nzovu, described the COP28 talks as having low ambitions, lack of time-bound targets, and lack clarity on means of support for adaptation implementation. He added that they would not “save lives”.
Nzovu stressed that an outcome on adaptation has been Africa’s key demand, adding the adaptation outcome needed to contain strong language, which is complimentary and enables the stocktake process.
“We will not agree on anything here unless Africa’s top priorities are met,” he said. “If we are serious about saving lives, livelihoods and protecting ecosystems, then the GGA framework must have ambitious, time-bound targets with clear means of implementation support.
The GGA or Goal of Adaptation is “a collective agreement under the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed at enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change”.
Nzovu said the adaptation outcome must address thematic and dimensional targets on equal footing and the targets must be measurable and time-bound so that progress can be tracked.
The global stocktake outcome must recognise Africa’s sustainable development and poverty eradication imperatives, consistent with Agenda 2063, he added.
According to the minister, Africa needs to exploit its natural resources and renewable energy endowments to attain universal access to energy in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 9 on developing resilient ‘industry, innovation and infrastructure’.
“The global stocktake outcome must promote equity and fairness in the allocation of policy space, and ensure that the energy transition will be just, equitable and orderly. “As such the transition should be premised on differentiated pathways to zero and fossil-fuel phasedown,” he expanded.
Africa’s cumulative historical emissions stand at three percent of the global total, while the current emissions from the energy and industrialised sector are also at the same level. Nzovu said the contribution was “paltry for a continent of over 50 countries, with 1.5 billion people”.
“Further to this, the continent is the least electrified,” he said. “Over 50% of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have electricity access rates below 50%, while 600 million people are without access to electricity which is central for the provision of basic services, including primary health, clean water, education and livelihoods.”
Founder and Director of Power Shift Africa, Mohamed Adow said two issues are the heart of the impasse in Dubai. Power Shift Africa is a Nairobi-based climate change lobby.
One issue is how to handle differentiation and resourcing for the energy transition.
“Developed countries want to treat all countries as if they are the same, failing to acknowledge historic responsibility and different capacities as well as the need for proper funding amd technology transfer needed to facilitate the transition,” said Adow. “The second issue is that fairness is key to this energy transition. “There is a lack of clear finance and technology transfer commitments by developed countries to give confidence to developing countries that they will get new, adequate, predictable, affordable finance and support to implement the agreed actions.”
Meanwhile, the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has indicated that more than 900 million people in Africa are without clean cooking technology, many of whom are still using biomass and animal dung for cooking, resulting in many health problems, particularly for women and children.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has further revealed that an estimated $2 trillion in investments are needed in new generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure along with innovative energy technologies and delivery systems to meet the continent’s growing energy needs.
*This article is part of reportage on COP28, produced in partnership with MESHA and IDRC. Kayawe is a development communicator with an interest in science and climate journalism. She has taken keen interest in climate change as it is an existential threat to Africa and the continent’s development aspirations. Currently pursuing graduate studies in Natural Resources Management and Participatory Development Communication with the Okavango Research Institute, Kayawe hopes to be among the contributors to solution-based climate journalism.