Keeping an eye on Bonn Climate Change Talks next week

Negotiators from the world's governments are gathering in Bonn from April 30 to May 10 for three simultaneous meetings under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Their aim as ever is to figure out how to further implement the many agreements they have made over the past 28 years, and crucially how to put the 2015 Paris Agreement into practice.

Their self-imposed deadline to finish this work is the end of this year at the 24^th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to be held in Katowice, Poland.

However some key questions have to be resolved before this can happen, including:

Will countries step-up their contributions in this critical window for climate action?

Will countries stick with the plan to deliver comprehensive national contributions?

Will real progress be seen on finance—the key enabling condition for climate action?

How can the process itself advance given the role of the US and polluting corporations?

With the window to avoid breaching the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C threshold closing fast—by some estimates less than four years remains—and with the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) projected to result in 3°C warming, countries know they must radically step up their efforts in the immediate-term as well as the long-term.

Recording an estimated $300 billion of climate change damages, 2017 went down as the costliest as well as the third hottest on record.

Africa is most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) will lead civil societies on the continent at the Bonn Climate Talks to seek climate justice.

Africa needs to more than double cassava production to feed herself by 2050

Africa needs to double her cassava production to avert a major food crisis by 2050, says the Director for the Global Cassava Partnership for the 21^st Century (GCP21), Dr. Claude Fauquet in Lagos.

Addressing a world press conference in Lagos, Dr. Fauquet described the low root yields of cassava in Africa as unacceptable and called on member nations to adequately invest in the crop to change the current yield per hectare.

Though accounting for 55 percent of global cassava root production, Africa’s yield per hectare is the lowest in the world with about 10 tons per ha as opposed to Asia where average yield is 21 tons per hectare—or double the yield in Africa.

Dr. Fauquet, whose speech comes ahead of the Forth International Cassava Conference in Cotonou, Republic of Benin in 11-15 June 2018, said a do-nothing approach would hurt the continent as it would have to contend with more people to feed, and changes in climate that would become more unpredictable.

He argued that to reverse the current trajectory would demand deliberate steps including greater investment in research and innovations, provisions of a favorable policy framework, accessibility of loans to farmers at single digit rates, and mechanization across the value chain.

According to him, Africa needs to scale out proven technologies including the recommendations on weed control being developed by the Cassava Weed Management Project, improved cassava varieties, and best-bet agronomic practices such as appropriate fertilizer application.

“If we do these, then to double cassava yield will not be a dream but a possibility,” he said.

Dr. Fauquet said while technologies existed to transform cassava, not many policy makers were aware of such technologies, adding that the forthcoming Global Conference on Cassava with the theme “Cassava Transformation in Africa” was a unique opportunity that would create an environment for exchange of technical, scientific, agricultural, industrial and economic information about cassava among strategic stakeholders like scientists, farmers, processors, end-users, researchers, the private sector, and donor agencies.

According to him, 300 participants including policymakers, scientists, farmers, processors, end-users, researchers, the private sector, and donor agencies would be participating in the conference on 11-15 June 2018.

He reiterated that the aim of the Conference was to raise awareness on the importance of cassava in the world, reviewing recent scientific progress, identifying and setting priorities for new opportunities and challenges while charting a course to seek Research and Development (R&D) support for areas where it is currently inadequate.

The Director Designate of GCP21, Professor Malachy Akoroda noted that the Conference would provide an opportunity for African countries to tap the best, current, and most innovative technologies that would transform cassava value chains across Africa.

“This Conference is a shining opportunity for Africa,” he added.

Founded in 2003, GCP21 is a not-for-profit international alliance of 45 organizations and coordinated by Drs. Fauquet and Joe Tohme of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). It aims to fill gaps in cassava research and development towards unlocking the potential of cassava for food security and wealth creation for farmers, processors, transporters, marketers, and packaging enterprises.

The 2018 Global Cassava Conference is supported by several major institutions including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), CGIAR Roots Tubers and Banana, African Development Bank (AfDB), French Institute in Benin, French Embassy, CORAF, Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA), INRAB - Institut National Agronomique du Benin, and FAS-UAC - Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques de l’Université Abomey – Calavi, Republic of Benin. 

A larger number of organizations will join the Conference, sponsoring special events, travel grants, workshops, satellite meetings, as well as private companies from the different parts of the world that will have the possibility to show-case their products at exhibition booths.

Banking on Sunshine: solar energy dominates investment in new power

Solar energy dominated global investment in new power generation like never before in 2017.

The world installed a record 98 gigawatts of new solar capacity, far more than the net additions of any other technology - renewable, fossil fuel or nuclear.

Solar power also attracted far more investment, at $160.8 billion, up 18 per cent, than any other technology. It made up 57 per cent of last year's total for all renewables (excluding large hydro) of $279.8 billion, and it towered above new investment in coal and gas generation capacity, estimated at $103 billion.

A driving power behind last year's surge in solar was China, where an unprecedented boom saw some 53 gigawatts added - more than half the global total - and $86.5 billion invested, up 58 per cent.

The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018 report, released by UN Environment, the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, finds that falling costs for solar electricity, and to some extent wind power, is continuing to drive deployment. Last year was the eighth in a row in which global investment in renewables exceeded $200 billion - and since 2004, the world has invested $2.9 trillion in these green energy sources.

"The extraordinary surge in solar investment, around the world, shows how much can be achieved when we commit to growth without harming the environment," said Head of UN Environment Erik Solheim. 

"By investing in renewables, countries can power new communities, improving the lives and livelihoods of the people who live in them, and at the same time cleaning up the air they breathe."

Overall, China was by far the world's largest investing country in renewables, at a record $126.6 billion, up 31 per cent on 2016.

There were also sharp increases in investment in Australia (up 147 per cent to $8.5 billion), Mexico (up 810 per cent to $6 billion), and in Sweden (up 127 per cent to $3.7 billion).

A record 157 gigawatts of renewable power were commissioned last year, up from 143 gigawatts in 2016 and far out-stripping the net 70 gigawatts of fossil-fuel generating capacity added (after adjusting for the closure of some existing plants) over the same period.

"The world added more solar capacity than coal, gas, and nuclear plants combined", said Nils Stieglitz, President of Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. "This shows where we are heading, although the fact that renewables altogether are still far from providing the majority of electricity means that we still have a long way to go."

Some big markets, however, saw declines in investment in renewables. In the United States, investment dropped 6 per cent, coming in at $40.5 billion. In Europe there was a fall of 36 per cent, to $40.9 billion, with big drops in the United Kingdom (down 65 per cent to $7.6 billion) and Germany (down 35 per cent to $10.4 billion). Investment in Japan slipped 28 per cent to $13.4 billion.

Angus McCrone, Chief Editor of Bloomberg New Energy Finance and lead author of the report, said: "In countries that saw lower investment, it generally reflected a mixture of changes in policy support, the timing of large project financings, such as in offshore wind, and lower capital costs per megawatt."

Global investments in renewable energy of $2.7 trillion from 2007 to 2017 (11 years inclusive) have increased the proportion of world electricity generated by wind, solar, biomass and waste-to-energy, geothermal, marine and small hydro from 5.2 per cent to 12.1 per cent.

The current level of electricity generated by renewables corresponds to about 1.8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions avoided - roughly equivalent to those produced by the entire U.S. transport system.

African countries meet in Nairobi to explore climate change technologies

Climate experts from Africa will meet next week in Kenya on April 9–10, 2018 to discuss collaboration and technology transfer.

Hosted by the United Nations Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), representatives from government, private sector, finance and research institutions will gather in Nairobi, Kenya to share experiences and best practices in the region.

CTCN Director, Jukka Uosukainen, says “Africa is facing increasing challenges from changing weather patterns, increasing droughts and extreme rain and floods that have an impact on the security of food supplies. By serving as a bridge between developing countries’ technology needs and the proven expertise of finance, private sector and research experts from around the world, the CTCN builds partnerships that achieve countries’ climate and development objectives”.

The CTCN promotes the development and transfer of clean technologies, and provides developing countries with access to free technology solutions at their request by mobilizing relevant technology experts from a global network of more than 400 technology companies and institutions to design and deliver customized solutions.

Over 100 technology transfers are currently underway in more than 75 countries for sectors ranging from agriculture and energy to industry and transportation. The CTCN provides expert policy and technology support to developing country stakeholders, coordinated by the NDEs.

“Most African countries have chosen clean energy technologies as a part of their environmental solutions. ICRAF supports these efforts through its work in developing cleaner options for woody biomass-based energy, a key technology used across the continent,” said Tony Simons, ICRAF Director General. “In partnership with CTCN, we contribute to environmentally sustainable clean energy solutions by helping countries in Africa to formulate national policies and sub national programs designed to meet their national targets on climate through agroforestry”.

As the implementing arm of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Technology Mechanism, the Climate Technology Centre is hosted and managed by the United Nations Environment and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The forum is organized together with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), a founding CTCN consortium partner. The Forum will be held during Africa Climate Week along with the Africa Carbon Forum (11–13 April).

Ghana transitions to a low-carbon economy with efficiency in electricity distribution

Ghana is making significant gains in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through fuel substitution with improvements in the operational efficiency of the country’s electricity distribution system. 
 

Villages, towns and communities are gradually substituting the use of wood fuel with electricity, according to the Deputy Minister of Energy, William Owuraku Aidoo.

This, he says, is the impact of grid expansion works carried out under the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project (GEDAP) as well as the Productive Uses of Electricity (PUE) activities initiated by the government.

“I am happy to note that the project has also assisted this transition to a low-carbon economy through the development of renewable energy for the expansion of access to electricity, where economically justified,” he said at the launch of the GEDAP in Kumasi.

Wood fuel is a very important energy source for Ghanaian, especially in rural households who depend on it for cooking and for small-scale processing activities.

With an annual consumption of wood fuel estimated at 16million m³, forests and wildlife are under stress of illegal logging, charcoal burning, wildfire and unsustainable farming activities.

These have climate change impacts that lead to the drying up of water bodies, land degradation and other environmental devastation.

Mr. Owuraku Aidoo says the GEDAP has the global environmental objective of supporting Ghana’s transition to a low carbon economy through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

He noted the four project objectives of the project has significantly been met, including electricity access and renewable energy development, sector and institutional development, distribution improvement, and transmission system upgrade.

The Project’s development objective is to improve the operational efficiency of the electricity distribution system and increase the population’s access to electricity.

Implementation of the $210million project funded under the Global Environmental Facility started in 2007 and ends in 2019.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh