Browsing: COP28

• In place of resolve to take responsibility for per capita emissions, polluting nations are instead pivoting towards carbon offsets to’ cancel out’ industrialised world emissions. (https://www.belongly.com/)
• Carbon markets stand to become a new economic mechanism promoting energy security in Africa.
• Africa’s forests absorb 600 million tons of CO2 yearly, more than any forest ecosystem on Earth.

Africa should become the global centre for high-value, high-integrity carbon credits, AFC says; Wholesale leases or sale of land undervalue Africa’s forestry while enabling polluters: AFC paper; AFC Foundation to prioritise conservation and regeneration of African carbon sinks through local capacity building.

At a critical moment in the fight against climate change, the world is squandering a significant opportunity by neglecting Earth’s most important natural carbon repositories – Africa’s forests, grasslands, peatlands and mangroves.

Carbon offsets market not delivering

The global carbon markets offer a pragmatic way to improve this course, with …

• Creating climate-resilient farmers to address climate change has become urgent.
• Access to finance is essential to sustain and improve the agricultural livelihoods that vulnerable rural communities rely upon.
• Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas supports increased employment, income, and services to rural communities.

East Africa is frequently impacted by food shortages and clusters of hunger due to complex mix of factors including unstable social and political environments, macroeconomic imbalances in trade and climate change.

Floods, pests, diseases are just a number of challenges hindering farmers in East Africa who rely on rainfed agriculture.

Not only these farmers are significantly limited by their marginalized conditions but also their lower capacity to adapt.

Climate change is another problem the world and this case Africa faces. It impacts the way struggling farmers navigate through crop failure and profitable market limitation.

Following the recent release of data confirming a sharp global …

• President Samia Suluhu Hassan highlighted the need for international commitment to climate agreements and innovative financing, including a $700 million green bond initiative for adaptation and mitigation strategies while representing Tanzania at COP28.
• Through the African Group of Negotiators, African nations pushed for a just energy transition and increased climate financing, advocating for the right to use fossil fuels for development before transitioning to renewable energy sources.
• Global leaders recognized Africa’s climate adaptation needs, with significant pledges such as the UK’s GBP 1.5 billion commitment for adaptation in Africa by 2025 and the African Development Bank Group’s initiative to mobilize $14 billion for low-income African countries.

Tanzania at COP28

Tanzanian President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan played a pivotal role at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, where she emphasized the critical need for the international community to fulfil unmet commitments related to climate change. Her speech brought to the fore …

• The AfDB and Prince Trust International have signed a deal to address youth unemployment while scaling up human capital and entrepreneurship.
• The MOU commits both institutions to collaborate to identify and develop partnership opportunities to mainstream employability skills for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) projects funded by the Bank.
• The Prince’s Trust will participate in preparing, designing, implementing and monitoring TVET and skills development projects.

Youth unemployment, human capital, and entrepreneurship opportunities in the continent are set to be addressed through an agreement signed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Prince’s Trust International.

The MOU commits both institutions to work together to identify and develop partnership opportunities to mainstream employability skills for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) projects funded by the Bank in countries of common interest.

Skills development to tackle youth unemployment

The Prince’s Trust will participate in preparing, designing, implementing and …

• Designed using a science-based approach and harnessing new technological innovations, the programme aims to promote long-term tree health, increase biodiversity of flora and fauna, and generate an economic boost for local communities.
• The reforestation project in Kenya will cover more than 3,500 hectares across six counties in the west of the country, adjacent to the Rift Valley.
• Aside from Kenya, AZ Forest’s global program, which aims to span 100,000 hectares worldwide targets Ghana and Rwanda.

AstraZeneca is committed to planting and maintaining up to six million trees in Kenya, employing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) deep learning model to monitor tree health, long-term survival, and carbon sequestration.

This initiative supports climate action, human health, and community resilience. AstraZeneca’s flagship AZ Forest program aims to plant the trees in western Kenya and was announced at COP28. The project builds on the company’s recent expansion of African reforestation initiatives in Ghana and Rwanda.…

As COP28 unfolds with its myriad discussions and commitments, a less visible but equally critical issue looms on another continent – the pervasive problem of greenwashing in Africa. From the corridors of corporate power to the burgeoning startup ecosystem, greenwashing emerges as a misleading marketing tactic and a significant barrier to genuine environmental and social progress in Africa.

In Africa’s corporate sector, greenwashing has become a strategic tool used by both corporations and governments to cover up environmentally detrimental practices. This issue is acutely critical in a continent where environmental conservation is not just a matter of policy but survival.…

• Around 200 countries have agreed on how to run the Climate Loss and Damage Fund to help vulnerable nations address more extreme weather conditions.
• Germany and the UAE have pledged $100 million each to the climate damages initiative.
• The World Bank will host the Climate Loss and Damage Fund on a trial basis. 

Around 200 countries have agreed on how to run the Climate Loss and Damage Fund to help vulnerable nations address more extreme weather conditions. Consequently, rich nations have pledged at least $260 million to kickstart the program, making a breakthrough as global climate deliberations opened in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Delegates at the COP28 summit on Thursday adopted a framework for the World Bank to host the Loss and Damage Fund following months of negotiations. This year’s host, the UAE, indicated it would contribute $100 million, adding another $100 million from Germany. The United Kingdom …

• President William Ruto will lead Kenya at COP28 to showcase the country’s ambitious climate change strategy and advocate for sustainable development and climate resilience in Africa.
• Kenya is pioneering clean energy solutions, notably through biodigesters, which convert organic waste into biogas and organic fertilizer, aligning with the nation’s agricultural profile and enhancing energy independence.
• At COP28, Kenya aims to inspire global action and demonstrate that sustainable development is achievable in emerging economies, contributing significantly to the global climate change dialogue.

As the world convenes in Dubai for COP28, a significant spotlight falls on Kenya. Under President Ruto’s leadership, Kenya goes to this global summit not merely as a participant but as a catalyst for Africa in bridging climate dialogue and action.

At the heart of these discussions lies the country’s ambitious strategy to combat climate change, an approach intrinsically linked to the broader global efforts to mitigate environmental risks and …

• For African universities, governments and businesses, 5G Tech Spaces are part of the solution to enable Africa to leapfrog with clean innovation.
• Africa’s climate finance inflows remain very low, at 3 percent of global climate finance.
• The continent requires as much as $2.8 trillion through 2030 to implement its climate commitments.

Africa’s most renowned universities are keen to be at the forefront of Research, Innovation and Outreach (RIO) of technologies, products, services and operating models that reduce CO2 emissions and help attain Net Zero Emissions (NZE).

To achieve this, the gap between rhetoric and action needs to be reduced, if we are to have a fighting chance of reaching Net Zero by 2050 and capping the rise in global temperature at 1.5 °C in full attainment of the Paris Agreement.

Africa produces only about 4 percent of the world’s emissions, but is disproportionately vulnerable to the impact of climate change. …

• The promises made to uplift Africa and its people have failed to provide equitable justice. The trend continues.
• While Africa can play a pivotal role in the global fight against climate change, it should not come at the cost of its own economic development.
• Every climate finance dollar flowing into the continent must find its way into sustainable measures of mitigation and adaptation.

At Africa Climate Week, the resounding call of a child echoed through the packed hall, stating, “We will hold you to your promises.” This declaration not only reflected the sentiment of the child but also resonated with the aspirations of the entire continent.

As civilisation thrived, the continent went from being the cradle of civilization to the dump yard of urbanization. The promises made to uplift Africa and its people have failed to provide equitable justice. The trend continues.

Africa Climate Summit 2023

The promises made to …