Africa at COP28: Several big wins, a united voice

AFRICAN countries entered the recent COP28 negotiations on climate change in high spirits.

Before this conference, in September, African government leaders, policymakers, activists and other groups from the continent met at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

The African position and expectations for were shaped at this summit by the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration.

Africa’s main agenda at COP28, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, was to convince global players that they must show more altruism in financially supporting targets to reduce global emissions.

For African countries, COP27, hosted by Egypt, was largely deemed a failure for the continent, and they hoped that would be more successful. Africa is the region that has been most affected by climate change since 2010, even though the continent is one of the lowest greenhouse gas emitting regions in the world.

More than half of the African population faces one or more impacts of climate change. These include drought, rising temperatures, land degradation, flooding, coastal erosion, desertification and changes in rainfall patterns. This makes it especially important to analyse what gains Africa made at as a negotiating bloc.

From my perspective as a political scientist, whose field is environmental and energy politics, I believe Africa gained much from taking a strong position in several negotiations at COP28.

Many gains

For instance, I view the Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action, which seeks to reduce emissions and create food security for Africa, as a win.

Agriculture, forestry and other commercial or industrial uses of land are the most significant sources of emissions in Africa.

The continent also faces a food security crisis that is worsened by climate change.

This declaration shows new thinking in global climate governance, seeking to transform the global food system into a food-secure, yet decarbonised arrangement. With 152 signatories and an early financial commitment of billion, there is potential for African agriculture and food systems to be boosted. The Declaration on Climate and Health was also a milestone for Africa. Climate change increases the continent’s disease burden. The billion funding raised at for transforming health systems to cope with climate change-induced illnesses and protect vulnerable populations will be very useful for Africa.

Hundreds of millions of dollars pledged to Africa

The governments of Germany, France and Japan, along with philanthropic organisations and African and global institutions, pledged over $175 million to the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa to build new green infrastructure.

Africa has committed to net-zero emissions, and this pledge to stimulate Africa’s

billion private capital agenda towards a just and equitable energy transition on the continent drives home the vision.

With more funding and good execution, the alliance could help the continent maximise development opportunities in climate change mitigation.

Many African countries link their development agenda to climate diplomacy.

offered a platform for several bilateral and multilateral development agreements. Nigeria signed an important deal with Germany to shore up its energy deficit.

Rwanda also signed an innovative memorandum of understanding with Singapore to enhance its carbon market. Kenya signed deals worth billion to develop seven important green projects in the country.

African bloc well prepared for tough negotiations

was Africa’s most vocal climate summit. The African bloc sought to speak to its expectations with one voice.

It was no surprise that African leaders communicated their positions on various issues at vehemently.

For example, the African Group of Negotiators strongly demanded “fairness and differentiation”towards Africa in the global drive for energy transition. The continent was also vocal in its demand for the Global Goal on Adaptation at the conference.

The Global Goal on Adaptation was proposed by the African Group of Negotiators in 2013 and established as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement. It calls for collective commitment to helping states improve their resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.

The boldness with which African leaders pursued the agenda is commendable.

This sets the African agenda for future climate summits. The continent is becoming assertive in its environmental diplomacy. The demand for a loss and damage fund has been on the table in many COPs.

Its eventual operationalisation at COP28, with an initial million in pledges, is a victory for Africa — the continent is one of the regions most acutely affected by loss and damage. For example, the destruction caused by cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Southern Africa in 2019 remains one of the worst cases of climate change loss and damage. It left Beira city in Mozambique with 95 percent destruction in the world’s first case of climate-induced destruction of a city.

Maximising COP28 gains for Africa

COP28.