The Africa Climate Summit - The Nairobi Declaration

The Africa Climate Summit was a gathering of leaders and stakeholders in climate action that took place in Nairobi Kenya from 4^th to 6^th September 2023. It was a conference that involved everyone: women, youth, children, leaders, civil society, private sector, multi-lateral organizations, UN agencies, community organizations and indigenous peoples whose focus was on climate change in Africa, and took place concurrently with the Africa Climate Week.

The theme was “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World.”

 It culminated in the Nairobi Declaration and Call to Action that summarized the results of the conference.

Image courtesy of African Union

So let’s have a look at it.

The Africa Climate Summit (ACS) was established by African Union (AU) decisions that accepted Kenya’s offer to host led by the head of the African head of states committee on climate change who is the Kenya's president.

First, it commends Egypt for hosting COP27 and upholds its historic decisions especially on loss and damage, just transition to energy while calling for full implementation of the COP decision.

Note is made of the sixth assessment report by the IPCC which says we are not on the path to stay beneath 1.5 degrees and the world needs to cut emissions by 45% this decade (up to 2030).

Also, the IPCC report states that Africa is warming faster than the global average with disproportionate climate impacts on society, communities, nature and biodiversity and the economy. Flash floods, strong droughts, wildfires, heatwaves and cyclones have caused a huge amount of damage on African soil though Africa is not historically responsible for climate change. The effect on security, livelihoods, peace and food security as well as economic growth and wildlife and ecosystems is quite heavy and too much.

Acknowledgement is made that climate change is the biggest challenge to the planet that needs all hands on deck – unified action by everyone globally.

The document reaffirms the UN Climate Change and Paris Climate Change agreement principles. These are equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Also, recognition is made of the fact that rapid city growth (urbanization) in Africa will result to 1.0 billion people residing in cities, exposing them to climate change effects therefore the need for more resilient cities especially for those living in low income areas.

Recollection is made of the fact that only 7 years are left to attain the sustainable development goals (by 2030), given that 600 million of African people lack access to electricity and 970 million  clean cooking resources.

The document elucidates that Africa has a number of vital factors which combined can very well catapult the continent as a climate leader and help forge economic prosperity and wellbeing of its people and nature. This include a rapidly growing young workforce, vast capacity for renewable energy, expansive natural resources and a sharp entrepreneurial spirit. There are therefore many opportunities for green growth on the continent.

The document points out the vast abilities of Africa’s carbon sinks starting with the huge sequestration capacity of one of the biggest rainforests in the world, the lush Congo Forest, as well as the expanses of African savannah grasslands, peatlands, wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, marine spaces and environmental resources on land and ocean.

The text recognizes the ocean’s important role in halting and reversing biodiversity loss and promoting sustainable development. Reference is made to the second UN Ocean Conference (2022), Moroni Declaration on Ocean and climate action in Africa, the AU agenda 2063 and the UN agenda 2030 among others.

The conference showcased Africa’s willingness to be a top investment decision for green growth and leading the way to global decarbonization.

Notably Africa has 40% of renewable energy capacity globally but only 2% of investment at US$60 billion out of US$3 trillion. A tenfold increase of this percentage to US$ 600 billion in investments would help us attain 300 gigawatts of clean energy.

The declaration asks all actors to keep past promises and uphold present commitments particularly by increasing ambition to cut emissions and mitigate climate change globally so as to uphold the Paris agreement; deposit the US$100 billion annually agreed on at COP15 at Copenhagen in 2009; phase down use of coal; abolish fossil fuel subsidies and lastly get the loss and damage facility of COP27 up and running.

Climate-positive investment coming into Africa would power green growth and turn the 54-country continent to middle income status by the half century mark (2050).

This is an opportunity for leaders to pivot from climate and environment-damaging fossil fuels while at the same time focusing on equality and prosperity. These are elements of a just transition.

It urges the loss and damage fund to be operationalized and the indicators and targets for the global goal on adaptation (GGA) realized.

The document showed commitments towards implementing policies and incentives to attract investment at all levels from grassroots (local) to nationally and power economic growth and prosperity.

The focus should also be on restorative agriculture (as opposed to depleting nature or degrading soils), protecting nature and biodiversity while ensuring just energy transition.

Efforts should be turned towards halting and reversing biodiversity loss, deforestation, desertification and restoring degraded lands back to health.

Emphasis is made on intercontinental trade and collaboration both intra and intercontinental especially focusing on the Africa Continental  Free Trade Area (AfCTA) agreement and removing bottlenecks and harmful tariffs and easing movement especially at borders.

Large scale promotion of industrial growth that feeds on renewable energy will create sizeable demand for clean energy and result to development.

It is needful that agricultural capacity to bolster food security should be increased without further harming biodiversity, climate wellbeing or nature.

It’s also important to take initiative and develop standards, metrics and market mechanisms to accurately quantify and value climate services and nature’s co-benefits such as air purification, water supply and the resultant cost (avoided or increased) on human health, peace, economic productivity or well-being.

The declaration calls on the finalization of the African Union Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan which emphasizes harmonious and in sync coexistence with nature by halfway this century.

Support is required for nature based solutions which benefits climate, people and nature.

Quite importantly, integration of climate, biodiversity and ocean agendas into national development plans especially sustainable development is crucial.

Redoubling of efforts towards increasing resilience for communities and nature, starting from the grassroots to regional and national levels and including climate-vulnerable areas such as coastal regions is needed.

Support is needed towards small scale farmers, indigenous peoples and local communities who are the first environmental stewards especially as they transition to a green economy.

Slums need to be upgraded and actually turned to low cost safe housing while also making cities able to cope with climate change.

Embracing early warning systems and provision of climate information services can to a huge part help in preparedness and disaster risk avoidance and reduction. It protects people and livelihoods.

Traditional knowledge systems and citizen science are easy to digest and quite accepted because it has high believability and trustworthiness. It can be quite handy in climate action.

Nations are encouraged to implement the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2032).

The Nairobi declaration called for global action to mobilize required capital for climate action and development, without making countries have to choose one or the other. It should be both.

Reform is needed for the multilateral finance infrastructure and systems because it is quite unfair and skewed. For one, Africa pays as much as 8 times for capital as other regions globally. Two, most of climate finance goes elsewhere, only a relatively small percent comes to the continent.

Concessional finance (instead of loans) should form majority of climate finance. Debt should be restructured to include longer grace periods (up to 10 years) while factoring in disasters and temporary suspension of repayments (i.e. when hit by climate disasters, health or security challenges, debt repayments become harder because economies are hit hard & available finance rechanneled elsewhere).

African countries need more inclusion and representation at major decision making tables concerning climate finance. 2 representatives for a 54 country continent is much skewed.

Innovative finance mechanisms such as debt for nature swaps, new debt relief plans and financial transaction tax should all be considered.

Therefore, as a continent, more investment to increase power generation to 300 gigawatts from 5 GW by 2030 will reduce energy poverty and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Shifting processing of raw materials back to Africa instead of exporting it will increase demand for renewable energy and create jobs and income on the continent.

Transfer or environmentally sound green technology which is also safe for nature and climate while being beneficial to people is a good idea.

This needs removal of barriers such as excessive taxation and complex regulatory framework.

Trade agreements should be fair and not disadvantage Africa. This applies to intercontinental trade.

The industrial, transport and electricity sectors should be decarbonized through smart, efficient and digital technologies.

Reduce costs of investment in Africa – loans are too expensive.

Attract investments to climate positive hotspots and ensure locals benefit.

Efforts should be channeled towards making sure Africa benefits from carbon markets in a fair manner.

The call to action was first of all to realize that decarbonization promotes economic prosperity and equality.

Financial investments and technical efforts should be geared towards green growth and ensuring sustainable use of Africa’s natural resources.

The international finance systems should be reviewed with particular mention of the Bridgetown Initiative, Accra-Marrakech agenda, UNSG SDG stimulus proposal and Paris Summit for a new Global Financing Pact.

The G20 should look at re-forming their Common Framework for Debt Treatments and making it more adequate and on time.

A new global carbon tax on fossil fuels, shipping and aviation was suggested.

Develop a new financing architecture helpful especially for Africa through the UN General Assemblies (UNGA) and the Conference of Parties (COP) by 2025.

Finally, the ACS will be held every two years and this year will serve as Africa’s common position during international negotiations at COP28.

The summit asked the African Union to develop an implementation framework and roadmap to make the declaration a reality on the ground while also making climate change the theme for 2025 and 2026.

This declaration was adopted by heads of states and representatives at the concluding event.

Other notable things that happened at the summit included the World Meteorological Organization launching the State of Africa Climate Report 2022 which documents climate events, policy and progress in the continent last year as well as recommendations going forward.

Kenya signed a green hydrogen deal with the European Union Commission Chair worth US$ 13 million by way of grants. It’s meant to spur economic growth while upholding environmental integrity and ensuring well being of people.

Kenyan counties were also given considerable climate finance (KShs 7.2 billion) towards local initiatives for climate action by the World Bank.

Denmark pledged US$ 232 million for the second replenishment of the Green Climate Fund.

The African Development Bank together with the Global Centre For Adaptation pledged US$1 billion towards adaptation and the AfDB setting aside US$25 billion towards climate finance by 2025.

The United Arab Emirates also promised US$4.5 billion to clean energy.

In total about 26 billion US dollars were pledged for climate investments.

Notably, a youth and children conference was held slightly before the main summit and there were participants also from indigenous communities and women in energy.

This is important because climate action should involve everyone and ordinary people both understanding and putting their best foot forward will go a long way to alleviating climate change