African leaders present at COP 29, which took place in Baku, gave their positions and declarations which reflect the commitment of African countries to climate challenges and highlight their expectations regarding key decisions for the future of the planet . They underlined the importance of this COP 29, particularly with regard to access to climate financing, essential to enable increased adaptation and resilience to the effects of climate change on the continent, the just energy transition, with a call to support the development of renewable energies in Africa, the commitment to a more equitable global partnership, to meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities.
This COP29 is a crucial moment to strengthen international solidarity and guarantee significant progress in the fight against climate change, which disproportionately affects African countries. In his position and declarations, Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of Congo, recalled in relation to the Paris agreement, the financing mobilized since 2015 has not lived up to expectations and in no way corresponds to the level of their commitment.
“In 2015, we all placed our hopes in the Paris Agreement, an agreement based on the principle of climate justice that clearly establishes a framework for keeping global warming within a range of 1.5C. The funding mobilized since 2015 has not lived up to expectations and in no way corresponds to the level of our commitment. We are particularly concerned, and I should note here that the B100 promise was only fulfilled in 2022. The NCQG for climate finance must be based on scientific data that takes into account the impacts and needs of countries in development in the fight against climate change. We know that these needs amount to more than $1 trillion. We hope that the amount of this new objective will be established from a climate justice perspective. The NCQG should cover mitigation and adaptation. An encouraging step was taken in this direction with the adoption of article 6.4. »
For his part, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, said: “Today, we are not only gathered as leaders or policy makers. We are here to declare and stand in solidarity for a green world. Despite financial obstacles, we are determined to achieve our goals. We cannot achieve our climate goals alone. We call on our global partners to ensure sustainable debt-free financing. What world would we leave behind? The future of our children depends on COP29. Let us act boldly and show future generations that we fought for them. Ghana stands with the world for a green and resilient future.”
For Taye Atseke Selassie Amde, President of Ethiopia says he plans to expand their forest cover to absorb 10 billion tonnes of carbon.
“We aspire and hope to translate our Paris Agreement goals into tangible results. As part of Ethiopia’s green initiatives, we are expanding our forest cover to absorb 10 billion tonnes of carbon. Our heat-resistant wheat project makes our food system climate resilient. The climate finance debate has become frustrating, and we have focused on local solutions. We are very concerned about the insufficiency and delays in disbursement of funds. Ethiopia has developed its national adaptation plan to mitigate the impact of climate change. The clock is ticking and time is running out. Let us join forces to build a sustainable future for all.”
Aziz Khannouch, Prime Minister of Morocco, spoke about the adaptation of African agriculture. According to him, “for many years, Morocco has been committed to playing a role in the energy transition at the national, international and continental level. To this end, the Triple A initiative for the adaptation of African agriculture was launched under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohamed VI during COP22 in Marrakech, with a bold vision: transform African agriculture and protect the environment in the face of climate change. In close collaboration with the African Adaptation Initiative, the Triple A initiative continues its action in 3 main areas: Improving soil management, improving access to water through irrigation, the integration of resilient technologies”.
Continuing his speech, the Moroccan PM added: “Renewable energies in Morocco currently represent around 40% of electricity production capacity, a figure which will increase to 52% by 2030. Morocco has already started to update its contribution to this objective, by revising upwards the ambitions of its declaration and by integrating new structuring projects, in particular the desalination of sea water using renewable energies, the valorization of biomass and the supply of hydrogen to the Morocco. At Cop29, the world expects concrete commitments to accelerate the ecological transition and provide the means necessary for its implementation, including sustainable financing solutions, adaptation funds and climate insurance mechanisms to enable countries the most vulnerable, often those least responsible for emissions, to strengthen their resilience.”
Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s First Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Diaspora said that “Africa as a whole is already grappling with annual climate-related losses and damage to infrastructure, agriculture, water and other sectors of our economy, which represent between 9 and 12% of the continent’s GDP.
“This COP29 is a demonstration of solidarity and the intention to act together to change the situation and rewrite climate history. A green and resilient world is within our reach, in our lifetime. This financial COP can contribute to this. We must commit to increasing climate finance based on the NCQG target of no less than $1.3 trillion per year from 2025. This is essential to meeting the needs developing countries in terms of adaptation and loss and damage,” he says.
Furthermore, he continues: “The COP must also agree on an amount of $5.3 trillion for the implementation of CDNs by 2030. Climate financing must be provided in quantity, quality and transparency , as well as ease of access, a crucial step to accelerate the implementation of national adaptation plans. We need to agree on the global target for adaptation while increasing the ambition of the NDCs to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5 above pre-industrial levels. This COP must also agree on measures to triple access and capacity for renewable energy by 2030.”
He specifies that the loss and damage facility has progressed commendably. However, he said: “I would like to ask this assembly to make the fund operational. The global transformation to a low-carbon economy requires at least $4-6 trillion per year to support climate action. Most developing countries are unable to raise this amount due to high interest rates on loans. We need to reform multilateral banks to unlock large-scale financing and create incentives for restructuring and debt sustainability, taking into account the high cost of capital and borrowing. Technology and innovation are key to finding practical solutions and strengthening developing countries’ efforts to eradicate poverty.”
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