by Dr George Wamukoya, lead Africa climate talks negotiator.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Over 90 per cent of private finance goes toward mitigation projects, with the main reason being that adaptation projects, which are at the core of survival for the heavily burdened African nations, are generally less likely to return profits for private investors.
African countries have been challenged to fully exploit the Paris Agreement treaty by developing climate action projects that address both adaptation and mitigation to increase chances of accessing climate finance.
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted in 2015.
Its overarching goal is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels.
According to the United Nations, over 90 per cent of private finance goes toward mitigation projects, with the main reason being that adaptation projects, which are at the core of survival for the heavily burdened African nations, are generally less likely to return profits for private investors.
“Instead of complaining that most of the funds are directed towards mitigation projects, countries should take advantage of a through-pass given to us by Article 4, Paragraph 7 of the Paris Agreement, which gives countries a leeway to seek adaptation funds through projects that address both adaptation and mitigation,” said Dr George Wamukoya the team lead at Africa Group of Negotiators Experts Support (Agnes).
Agnes is an organisation composed of experts, who provide technical and policy training to the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) and African legislators, to ensure that the continent is well represented at the global stage of climate negotiations.
Article 4, Paragraph 7 of the Paris Agreement states that; ‘Mitigation co-benefits resulting from Parties’ adaptation actions and/or economic diversification plans can contribute to mitigation outcomes under this Article – (the Article that addresses issues related to mitigation).’
“We are not short of ideas,” Dr Wamukoya told African climate negotiators, including members of parliaments from nine different countries, who convened in Nairobi for deliberations ahead of the June Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) conference that will take place in Bonn, Germany.
“We have the capacity to package our proposals for climate finance to address both adaptation and mitigation so as to take advantage of the clause in the Paris Agreement,” he said.
The SBSTA conference is an annual technical convening that is normally held in June to set the agenda for the main United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC ) Conference of Parties (COP) that usually comes up toward the end of the year.
The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the convention, where all state parties are represented, at which they review the implementation of the convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements.
Dr Wamukoya’s sentiments resonated with Dr Festus Ng’eno’s, State Department for Environment and Climate Change PS, who pointed out that all African countries should prioritise strengthening climate-smart agriculture practices to enhance productivity and sustainability as well as expanding nature-based solutions such as agroforestry and regenerative agriculture.
“These deliberations are an opportunity for us to evaluate the interventions we want to prioritise as a continent,” he told the delegation.
Generally, climate smart agriculture practices have proved to be effective in helping communities adapt to tough climatic conditions. At the same time, scientists have discovered that practices such as no/minimum tillage and improved livestock management can significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and methane released into the atmosphere due to agricultural practices.
Agroforestry is another practical example that has been found to be effective in carbon sequestration, which is a way of mitigating the impact of climate change while providing the most needed diversity of food in a climate resilient manner.
However, in order to succeed, Dr Ng’eno observed that African countries must put in place policies that prioritise agriculture in the climate change agenda. “We must ensure that agriculture is at the centre of our climate resilience strategies, including the new Nationally Determined Contributions and our National Adaptation Plans,” he said.
Countries were as well encouraged to align their national legislation with international commitments, particularly the UNFCCC. So far, only nine African countries have enacted specific climate change legislation, with Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia making significant progress.
“Without strong legal frameworks, climate action initiatives risk remaining fragmented and ineffective,” said Dr Rose Mwebaza, director and regional representative for Africa at the United Nations Environment Programme.
The main aim of the Nairobi convening was to strengthen Africa’s negotiation strategy ahead of SBSTA62 and COP30, which will be held in Belem, Brazil towards the end of the year. Another reason was ensuring climate finance accessibility and integrating adaptation measures into national policies.
“With active engagement from governments, climate experts, and civil society organisations, Africa is well-positioned to influence global climate policy and advance a more inclusive, action-oriented agenda,” said Dr Wamukoya.
