COP28: What went down in the race to end the climate crisis

The outcome of COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after two weeks of rigorous climate change deliberations, was mixed, with some positive developments for Africa but a lack of progress on other important concerns.

 

The first agreement reached at this COP concerned the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund; the text came out on the second day of the meeting, with commitments to the fund totaling more than USD 700 million.

 

The Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture Systems and Food Security came second in line, the first such declaration at a COP. The declaration recognizes the importance of Indigenous Peoples in food systems and empower farmers and fishermen.

On the Global Goal on Adaptation, experts decried a lack of clear targets and the use of vague language. The goal is also said to be not explicitly time-bound. 

With the declaration on the phaseout of fossil fuels, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Simon Stiell, acknowledged COP28 needed to signal a hard stop to humanity’s core climate problem - fossil fuels and their planet-burning pollution.

 

“Whilst we didn’t turn the page on the fossil fuel era in Dubai, this outcome is the beginning of the end,” he said.

COP28 also made strides in tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency, making an initial down payment.

 

“Now all governments and businesses need to turn these pledges into real-economy outcomes, without delay,” said Stiell. “We must get on with the job of putting the Paris Agreement to full work. In early 2025, countries must deliver new Nationally Determined Contributions. Every single commitment – on finance, adaptation, and mitigation – must bring us in line with a 1.5-degree world”.

 

Least Developed Countries Group reacts

 

Reacting to the outcomes of COP28, Madeleine Diouf Sarr, Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group, said the Dubai decision is historic in including the first reference to fossil fuels, but the group is concerned about the loopholes that it leaves open, which could limit true emissions reductions and ambition. 

 

“This outcome is not perfect, we expected more. It reflects the very lowest possible ambition that we could accept rather than what we know, according to the best available science, is necessary to urgently address the climate crisis,” he stated.

 

According to Madeleine, limiting warming to 1.5C is a matter of survival, and international cooperation remains key to ensuring it. 

 

“Alignment with 1.5C not only requires countries to urgently reduce domestic emissions but also the delivery of significant climate finance so that we can continue our leadership in going well beyond our fair share of the global effort when it comes to reducing emissions,” he noted.

 

On the Global Goal on Adaptation, Ms Sarr said “the adoption of the GGA Framework at COP28 is a historic achievement, however, our work is far from over. We must now focus on the critical next steps, which include the development of indicators, to ensure the framework's progress is accurately tracked and measured."

 

Transition away from fossils marred by lack of finance

 

Climate Action Network together with civil society across the world, used their collective power in centering the end of fossil fuels through a fair, fast and funded just transition at COP28.

 

But they expect the polluting countries and companies to deliver the funding to achieve a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.

 

“The COP outcome opened the road for a fossil fuel free world, but this road is full of potholes, dangerous distractions and if allowed, could lead to a dead end,” Tasneem Essop, Executive Director, CAN International. “We are determined to fight for securing international support from the rich nations for the developing world as a key enabler for more ambitious commitments and a just and equitable transition to a fossil free future.”

Mohamed Adow, Director of Power Shift Africa also noted that “for the first time in three decades of climate negotiations, the words fossil fuels have ever made it into a COP outcome.  We are finally naming the elephant in the room. The genie is never going back into the bottle and future COPs will only turn the screws even more on dirty energy”.

 

“Some people may have had their expectations for this meeting raised too high, but this result would have been unheard off two years ago, especially at a COP meeting in a petrostate. It shows that even oil and gas producers can see we’re heading for a fossil free world,” he added.

 

Position of African Group of Negotiators

 

Africa’s cumulative historical emissions are a paltry 3 percent of the global total; current emissions from the energy and industrialized sector are also an inconsequential 3 percent for a continent of over 50 countries and 1.5 billion people.

 

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) wanted the recognition of the full right for Africa to exploit its natural resources sustainably and in line with sustainable development and poverty eradication needs, consistent with Agenda 2063.

 

“It must be understood that Africa will need to exploit its natural resources and renewable energy endowments to achieve universal access to energy as per SDG 9,” said a statement from AGN Chair, Eng. Collins Nzovu.

 

He noted that Africa is in support of limiting warming to 1.5°C, however this should be based on differentiated pathways where African countries close the supply gap, rather than developed countries continuing to issue exploration licenses to avoid stranded assets as the African supply will be towards the global demand.

 

“The economic impact of stranded assets could amount to trillions of dollars. Fossil fuel assets are most vulnerable over the coming decade; oil and gas assets are more vulnerable toward mid-century,” said the statement.

 

However, Landry Ninteretse, Regional Director of 350Africa.org, frowned on the statement by the AGN.

 

He posited that “reliance on fossil fuels not only sets us on a perilous path to further destruction but also won’t bring a tangible benefit in people’s lives and livelihoods. Fairness and differentiation are key to this energy transition.

 

“Our continent is abundant in renewable energy resources that, if developed, can address the continent’s dual energy and climate crises. Neo-colonialist and extractivist approaches that have long characterized the fossil fuel exploitation must stop. Rather than fight to explore polluting fossils, focus should be on calling for developed nations to deliver adequate and favorable financing towards a fast and fair transition away from fossils”.

 

Stance of African CSOs and Non-State Actors

 

The African civil society and the Non-State Actors Committee (NSA) observed the negotiations had been frustrating, particularly in securing progressive decisions on the Global Goal on Adaptation and its means of implementation.

 

“Implementing strong adaptation measures remains at the heart of addressing historical and current climate injustice and this must be complemented with sufficient means of implementation, to be precise climate finance. Africa demands immediate and substantial action to address the lack of sufficient adaptation measures for the continent, recognizing historical injustices,” said the groups in the statement.

 

Al Gore, former US Vice President and Founder of Climate Reality Project, emphasized that the world desperately needs to phase out fossil fuels as quickly as possible.

 

“But this obsequious draft reads as if OPEC dictated it word for word. It is even worse than many had feared,” he stated. “In order to prevent COP28 from being the most embarrassing and dismal failure in 28 years of international climate negotiations, the final text must include clear language on phasing out fossil fuels. Anything else is a massive step backwards from where the world needs to be to truly address the climate crisis and make sure the 1.5°C goal doesn’t die in Dubai”.

 

The UN Climate Change says the negotiations on the ‘enhanced transparency framework’ at COP28 laid the ground for a new era of implementing the Paris Agreement.

 

Azerbaijan will host COP29, where governments must establish a new climate finance goal, reflecting the scale and urgency of the climate challenge.

 

At COP30 in Brazil, they must come prepared with new nationally determined contributions that are economy-wide, cover all greenhouse gases and are fully aligned with the 1.5°C temperature limit.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

COP28 agreement signals “Beginning of the End” of the Fossil Fuel era

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) has closed with an agreement that signals the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era by laying the ground for a swift, just and equitable transition, underpinned by deep emissions cuts and scaled-up finance.

In a demonstration of global solidarity, negotiators from nearly 200 Parties came together in Dubai with a decision on the world’s first ‘global stocktake’ to ratchet up climate action before the end of the decade – with the overarching aim to keep the global temperature limit of 1.5°C within reach.

“Whilst we didn’t turn the page on the fossil fuel era in Dubai, this outcome is the beginning of the end,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell in his closing speech. “Now all governments and businesses need to turn these pledges into real-economy outcomes, without delay.”

The global stocktake is considered the central outcome of COP28 – as it contains every element that was under negotiation and can now be used by countries to develop stronger climate action plans due by 2025.

The stocktake recognizes the science that indicates global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, to limit global warming to 1.5°C. But it notes Parties are off track when it comes to meeting their Paris Agreement goals.

The stocktake calls on Parties to take actions towards achieving, at a global scale, a tripling of renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The list also includes accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power, phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and other measures that drive the transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, with developed countries continuing to take the lead.

In the short-term, Parties are encouraged to come forward with ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories and aligned with the 1.5°C limit in their next round of climate action plans (known as nationally determined contributions) by 2025.

Helping countries strengthen resilience to the effects of climate change

The two-week-long conference got underway with the World Climate Action Summit, which brought together 154 Heads of States and Government. Parties reached a historic agreement on the operationalization of the loss and damage fund and funding arrangements – the first time a substantive decision was adopted on the first day of the conference. Commitments to the fund started coming in moments after the decision was gaveled, totaling more than USD 700 million to date.

There was more progress on the loss and damage agenda with an agreement also reached that the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the UN Office for Project Services will host the secretariat of the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage. This platform will catalyze technical assistance to developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Parties agreed on targets for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and its framework, which identify where the world needs to get to in order to be resilient to the impacts of a changing climate and to assess countries’ efforts. The GGA framework reflects a global consensus on adaptation targets and the need for finance, technology and capacity-building support to achieve them.

Increasing climate finance

Climate finance took center stage at the conference, with Stiell repeatedly calling it the “great enabler of climate action.”

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) received a boost to its second replenishment with six countries pledging new funding at COP28 with total pledges now standing at a record USD 12.8 billion from 31 countries, with further contributions expected.

Eight donor governments announced new commitments to the Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund totaling more than USD 174 million to date, while new pledges, totaling nearly USD 188 million so far, were made to the Adaptation Fund at COP28.

However as highlighted in the global stocktake, these financial pledges are far short of the trillions eventually needed to support developing countries with clean energy transitions, implementing their national climate plans and adaptation efforts.

In order to deliver such funding, the global stocktake underscores the importance of reforming the multilateral financial architecture, and accelerating the ongoing establishment of new and innovative sources of finance.

At COP28, discussions continued on setting a ‘new collective quantified goal on climate finance’ in 2024, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing countries. The new goal, which will start from a baseline of USD 100 billion per year, will be a building block for the design and subsequent implementation of national climate plans that need to be delivered by 2025.

Looking ahead to the transitions to decarbonized economies and societies that lie ahead, there was agreement that the mitigation work programme, which was launched at COP27 last year, will continue until 2030, with at least two global dialogues held each year.

Event participation and inclusivity

World leaders at COP28 were joined by civil society, business, Indigenous Peoples, youth, philanthropy, and international organizations in a spirit of shared determination to close the gaps to 2030. Some 85,000 participants attended COP28 to share ideas, solutions, and build partnerships and coalitions.

The decisions taken here today also reemphasize the critical importance of empowering all stakeholders to engage in climate action; in particular through the action plan on Action for Climate Empowerment and the Gender Action Plan.

Strengthening collaboration between governments and key stakeholders

In parallel with the formal negotiations, the Global Climate Action space at COP28 provided a platform for governments, businesses and civil society to collaborate and showcase their real-world climate solutions.

The High-Level Champions, under the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, launched their implementation roadmap of 2030 Climate Solutions. These are a set of solutions, with insights from a wide range of non-Party stakeholders on effective measures that need to be scaled up and replicated to halve global emissions, address adaptation gaps and increase resilience by 2030.

The conference also saw several announcements to boost the resilience of food and public health systems, and to reduce emissions related to agriculture and methane.

Looking ahead

The negotiations on the ‘enhanced transparency framework’ at COP28 laid the ground for a new era of implementing the Paris Agreement. UN Climate Change is developing the transparency reporting and review tools for use by Parties, which were showcased and tested at COP28. The final versions of the reporting tools should be made available to Parties by June 2024.

COP28 also saw Parties agree to Azerbaijan as host of COP29 from 11-22 November 2024, and Brazil as COP30 host from 10-21 November 2025.

The next two years will be critical. At COP29, governments must establish a new climate finance goal, reflecting the scale and urgency of the climate challenge. And at COP30, they must come prepared with new nationally determined contributions that are economy-wide, cover all greenhouse gases and are fully aligned with the 1.5°C temperature limit.

“We must get on with the job of putting the Paris Agreement fully to work,” said Stiell. “In early 2025, countries must deliver new nationally determined contributions. Every single commitment – on finance, adaptation, and mitigation – must bring us in line with a 1.5-degree world.”

“My final message is to ordinary people everywhere raising their voices for change,” Stiell added. “Every one of you is making a real difference. In the crucial coming years your voices and determination will be more important than ever. I urge you never to relent. We are still in this race. We will be with you every single step of the way.”

“The world needed to find a new way. By following our North Star, we have found that path,” said COP28 President, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber during his closing speech. “We have worked very hard to secure a better future for our people and our planet. We should be proud of our historic achievement.”

 

COP28: AGN assures protection of Africa’s interests in the newly operationalized Loss and Damage Fund

The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) has assured the African civil society of its commitment to protecting Africa’s interests in the newly operationalized Loss and Damage Fund. 

 

AGN Chair, Ephraim Mwepya Shitima, says the group, through its representatives in the Transitional Committee on the Loss and Damage Fund, ensured that important safeguards were put in place to avoid lengthy and unnecessary bureaucratic processes that would hinder access.

 

He was briefing the civil society groups at the on-going United Nations Climate summit (COP28) in Dubai, UAE.

 

Shitima responded to concerns by civil society groups that hosting the Fund at the World Bank would create access and other bureaucratic barriers for countries from the global south.

 

“We reluctantly agreed to the hosting arrangements to expedite its operationalization. If we insisted on the creation of a standalone fund, it would have taken us another three years to have it operationalized. But even as the case is, there are safeguards that have been put in place. We have some clauses that would allow the fund to be taken away from the World Bank if certain conditions as agreed are not met,” he said.

 

In a historic moment, the draft decision on the Loss and Damage Fund was adopted during the opening plenary of COP28, effectively operationalizing the Fund.

 

The Loss and Damage Fund was agreed on at COP27 held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The modalities for the operationalization were discussed and agreed by the Transitional Committee (TC) which was constituted.

 

Loss and Damage is essential even if the world meets climate mitigation goals because a “locked-in” level of warming already impacts particularly vulnerable communities being hit by extreme weather events, such as storms and floods, reduced agricultural productivity, and rising sea levels among others.

 

However, African civil society led by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) is concerned that the Fund will be hosted by the World Bank.

 

“Even as we welcome the operationalization of the fund, we are concerned that it will be hosted by an institution with historical access challenges for countries from the global south,” said Mithika Mwenda, PACJA Executive Director.

 

“We hope it will not be another of some existing funds that do not save the interest of the global south counties especially those in Africa,” he added.

 

 

Forest industries in Ghana build synergies for green sustainable future

Private business associations operating in Ghana’s forestry sector have formed a united front to address common challenges while pursuing a sustainable operational model.

 

The Forest Industries Association of Ghana (FIAG) is formed as a not-for-profit conglomerate of 11 trade and business associations operating in the private sector of forestry in Ghana.

 

President of the Association, Richard Nsenkyire, says priority areas include “ensuring sustainability by promoting the adoption of circular economy and green economy principles in our business practices. For instance, some processing companies are retooling to be able to use more of their residues. Others are also supplying their residues to others for further processing”.

 

The goal of FIAG is to enhance corporate performance, have a common voice on concerns and forge a strong entity to continue contributing to the socio-economic development of Ghana.

 

“The individual firms collectively employ over 300,000 in the business areas of plantation development, logging, milling, manufacturing, haulage and equipment services, sales and marketing; and capacity building,” said Richard.

 

Indirectly, the businesses lubricate many links of the forest products supply-chain by consuming products from other members to keep the conveyor belt moving.

 

“The sector is also a major consumer of electricity, fuel, plant and machine accessories, with other players in the economy depending on them for their businesses to survive,” observed Richard Nsenkyire.

 

However, the industry is faced with the challenge of diminishing raw material supply from forest reserves which have gone down from 1million m³ to 500,000 m³.

 

Other challenges include the dwindling log production in off-reserve areas to unsustainable levels due to inadequate incentives for farmers to retain timber trees on their farms as well as the degradation of the resource base due to destruction by illegal mining, illegal farmers and illegal mining.

 

Chief Executive Officer of the FIAG, Dr. Kwame Asamoah Adam, says opportunities in the sector will be explored through the Association’s green economic models. 

 

“The transition to a green economy business model is necessary for companies to achieve sustainable development targets. This virtuous circle encourages resource and energy efficiency and promotes sustainable production, enabling the use of environmentally friendly technologies, processes, and products,” he said. 

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

Climate and health: Building consensus on a unified approach for post-COP28 action

It is often said that environment and health are two sides of the same coin. The interdependence between environment and health cannot be ignored anymore as scientific evidence keeps highlighting that a poorly managed environment is a recipe for an increased disease burden across the globe. For instance, it is a no brainer that poor sanitation is a leading cause of water borne-related diseases, just as the case is with increased antimicrobial resistance and cancers resulting from poor chemical and other hazardous waste management.

 

In recognition of the interplay between health and the environment, environmental and health experts have been working collaboratively to promote the one health concept—an integrated and unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

 

One health recognises that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.

 

While health, food, water, energy and environment are all wider topics with sector-specific concerns, the collaboration across sectors and disciplines contributes to protect health, address health challenges such as the emergence of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety and promote the health and integrity of ecosystems. 

 

By linking humans, animals and the environment, One Health can help to address the full spectrum of disease control; from prevention to detection, preparedness, response and management – and contribute to global health security.

 

The approach can be applied at the community, subnational, national, regional and global levels, and relies on shared and effective governance, communication, collaboration and coordination. Having the One Health approach in place makes it easier for people to better understand the co-benefits, risks, trade-offs and opportunities to advance equitable and holistic solutions.

 

As a consequence of poor environmental management, climate change has emerged as a major threat to global health, with the most vulnerable populations facing the greatest impact. Unfortunately, those who contribute least to the problem often suffer the most severe consequences.

 

It is estimated that around 824 million people globally are malnourished, of which 58.7 million children are in Africa. Additionally, millions in Africa lack basic water and sanitation, leading to significant child mortality from diarrhoea. It is further estimated that 58% of infectious diseases globally have been intensified by changes in climate. This has ripple effects on public health, economy, environment, and education. The situation is predicted to   worsen with rising global temperatures, threatening progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage.

 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment report warns that climate change affects, both physical and mental health, and can exacerbate humanitarian crises, and recognises the need for action. Paragraph C.2 of the aforesaid report, states: “Deep, rapid and sustained mitigation and accelerated implementation of adaptation actions in this decade would reduce projected losses and damages for humans and ecosystems, and deliver many co-benefits, especially for air quality and health.”

 

Thus, several efforts are underway to integrate health into the formal UNFCCC discourse and to gain political traction on the nexus of climate change and health. In recognition of the importance of health and for COP28 to recognise the already severe and growing impacts of climate change on human health, the COP28 Presidency, working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners organised the first ever health day in the history of COPs on day 4 of COP28 (3rd December, 2023).

The day brought together Ministers of Health and senior health delegates from over 100 countries. The Ministerial mobilized support for the COP28 Climate and Health Agenda and the ‘COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health’ that was unveiled on 2^nd December at the World Climate Action Summit and endorsed by over 120 countries and over $1 billion of climate health financing was galvanized by partners.

Speaking on the day, COP28 Director-General Ambassador Al Suwaidi noted: “While we build the energy system of tomorrow, we cannot ignore the needs of people today. We must rapidly protect and promote their health and well-being while improving the climate-resilience of healthcare systems and reduce climate-health risks.”

‘Protecting Lives and Livelihoods’ is one of four central pillars in the COP28 Presidency’s Action Agenda which focuses on people, nature, lives and livelihoods.

AMREF Health Africa, in collaboration with Africa CDC, Wellcome Trust, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Pan African Justice Alliance for Climate Change (PACJA) and others, convened several stakeholder events to galvanise support for the health and climate change nexus.

 

The events were aimed at building consensus among Ministers of health in Africa on the key submissions and the common position to be presented during various COP sessions, as well as engage with the Africa Group of Negotiators and political leaders to carry forward key submissions in the different negotiation workstreams at COP28.

 

At the African health ministerial roundtable, AMREF Health Africa, Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Githinji Gitahi, called for active involvement of health Ministers in the climate change discourse.

 

"It's unbelievable that we are here today. We thank the COP28 Presidency for dedicating a health day for Climate Health - the first ever in the history of COPs. We also appreciate the tireless efforts of the WHO, the health ministers and other key global health partners, in making the health day a reality," said Dr. Githinji.

 

And UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell emphasised the importance of recognising the interplay between climate change and health.

 

"Health is the human face of climate change," he said. "The air we breath should be free of harmful pollution. Our communities should be safe from the devastating effects of floods, droughts and heat waves. Transitioning away from fossil fuels can help us get there."

 

By Friday Phiri

COP28: Global and African partners pledge $175m to the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA)

In a powerful signal of support during COP28, African and global institutions together with governments of Germany, France and Japan and philanthropies have pledged over $175 million to the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA). The landmark initial pledge will help to rapidly scale up financing for transformative climate-aligned infrastructure projects across the continent.

The new pledges will also advance AGIA towards its first close of $500 million of early-stage project preparation and development blended capital. The Alliance is a partnership of the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, Africa50 and other partners. It works to unlock up to $10 billion private capital for green infrastructure projects and to galvanise global action to accelerate Africa’s just and equitable transition to Net-Zero.

 

Among the signatories of the memorandum of intent were representatives of the African Development Bank, Africa50, France, Germany, Japan, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Banque Ouest-Africaine de Développement (BOAD), Proparco and the Three Cairns Group.

 

The Union of the Comoros President and Chairperson of the African Union Azali Assoumani, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina and African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat witnessed the signing ceremony.

 

African Development Bank Group President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina said: “We need private sector financing at scale to tackle climate change and fill Africa’s huge infrastructure gap in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner. By working together and pooling our resources together through AGIA, we are committed to accelerating these efforts. The Bank Group plans to contribute up to $40 million, after approval from its Board of Directors.”

 

Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze, said “Germany is very pleased to join the launch of the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa. We congratulate the African Development Bank on this important Africa-led initiative and want to highlight AGIA’s commitment to the 1.5 °C target and its dedication to accelerate Net-Zero emissions in Africa.”

 

She added “today marks an important step towards our shared goal of a just and equitable green transition in Africa. Supporting the commitment towards green infrastructure, we are planning to contribute up to €26 million to AGIA starting in 2024.”

 

Tomoyoshi Yahagi, Japan’s Deputy Vice-Minister of Finance, said “As part of the pledge made by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida yesterday, Japan will provide US$10 million to AGIA to support Africa in undergoing a just and equitable transition to Net-Zero and achieving the 1.5 °C pathway. We encourage other donors to contribute to this important initiative.”

 

AGIA was launched a year ago at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, by the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, and Africa50 and other partners.

 

COP28: World leaders endorse Emirates declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems and climate action

On the second day of COP28 in Dubai, more than 130 world leaders have endorsed the ‘‘Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems’’, putting food at the centre of the climate talks.  

This one-of-a-kind declaration is a product of one year of negotiations that were spearheaded by the COP28 Presidency on the one hand and the push from farmer groups and civil society organisations (CSOs) from Africa on the other.  

“This declaration marks a significant step towards sustainable food systems in the world, especially in Africa where food security is a big concern. A COP has finally recognised the urgency of transforming and adapting our food and agriculture systems to the climate crisis. To attain this sustainability, it is important to urgently increase access and scale of finance to agriculture and to provide technical support to farmers,” said Amy G Thorp, Senior Climate Adaptation and Resilience Policy Advisor at Power Shift Africa.

“The value of integrating local and Indigenous knowledge in agriculture cannot be overstated. By establishing social support programmes for vulnerable groups such as smallholders, women, youth, the fisherfolk and Indigenous groups, we make our food systems more inclusive and resilient.  

“While the declaration is commendable, its omission of key aspects such as smallholder land rights, particularly for female farmers, the phase-out of toxic inputs, and the imperative just transition to agroecology and food sovereignty is dangerous. We must seal these gaps as a matter of priority. This is key to fostering inclusivity, social justice and steering towards a genuinely transformative global food system, noted Amy.

The declaration comes days after African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) called for ambitious commitments to boost security at COP28. In a paper titled African Civil Society Common Position Paper on Climate Adaptation and Loss & Damage for COP28, the CSOs implored the presidency to push for progress towards resilient and just food and agriculture systems.  

The paper also emphasises the need to shift to farmer-led, rights-based food and agriculture models that promote gender equity, agroecology and protection of rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

In many African countries, food is a sociocultural, economic, political and even security issue, placing it at the centre of social stability, and sustainability and development. Unprecedented adverse impacts of climate change have, however, drastically threatened resilience of agriculture and food systems, eroding the ability of vulnerable populations to produce and access food in the face of mounting hunger, malnutrition and economic stresses.   

Several studies show that an estimated 149 million Africans face ‘‘acute food insecurity’’ as of this month. This is an increase of 12 million people from this time last year. Of these people, 82 percent, or 122 million, are in conflict countries, which underlines that conflict continues to be the primary driver of Africa’s food crisis. 

Countries have committed to incorporate food and land use fully into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) by 2025. 

In the declaration, the leaders specifically called for: 

1.     Scaling-up of adaptation and resilience activities and responses in order to reduce the vulnerability of all farmers and fisherfolk through financial and technical support for solutions, capacity building, infrastructure, and innovations, including early warning systems, that promote sustainable food security, production and nutrition, while conserving, protecting and restoring nature.  

2.     Promoting food security and nutrition by increasing efforts to support vulnerable people through social protection programmes and focusing on the specific needs of women, children and youth, Indigenous Peoples and smallholder farmers. 

3.     Supporting workers in agriculture and food systems, including women and youth, whose livelihoods are threatened by climate change, to maintain inclusive and decent work.  

4.     Strengthening the integrated management of water in agriculture and food systems at all levels to ensure sustainability. 

5.     Maximising the climate and environmental benefits associated with agriculture and food systems by conserving, protecting and restoring land and natural ecosystems, enhancing soil health, and biodiversity, and shifting from higher greenhouse gas-emitting practices to more sustainable production and consumption approaches. 

Food experts and other interest groups are now asking multilateral financial institutions to focus on shifting finance in the direction of sustainable food systems even as they hope for policy reforms on agriculture as part of the just transition. 

Mwandwe Chileshe, the Director for Food Security, Agriculture and Nutrition at Global Citizen, remarked the “ambition must translate into action to break the common pattern of unfulfilled commitments. We are well aware of the alarming statistics, regarding smallholder farmers who receive meagre percentages of climate financing. For African farmers whose livelihoods depend on this declaration, it's a starting point, not the final destination”.

Food campaigner at Haki Nawiri, Leonida Odongo, noted “the food system that is urgently required by the world in the midst of the climate crisis is one that is sustainable, people-centred, respects food producers and protects nature.” 

 

COP28: Historic Loss and Damage Fund adopted at opening plenary

On the first day of COP28, the Loss and Damage Fund was operationalized at the opening plenary, with new pledges of about USD300 million announced in financial support.

 

COP28 host, the UAE pledged USD 100 million, Germany - USD 100 million, UK - GBP 60 million/USD 75 million, Japan - USD 10 million, and the USA - USD 17.5 million.

But the success of COP28 will ultimately be judged on addressing the root cause of the climate crisis – fossil fuels.

 

“A key issue to be addressed head on at this COP is that it delivers an outcome that deals with the need to justly and equitably phase out fossil fuels,” said Tasneem Essop, Executive Director, Climate Action Network.

 

Climate Action Network (CAN) said at a press briefing that the climate conference will be judged on whether it agrees to a plan for an equitable phase out fossil fuels, delivers the finance for a just transition and gets the Loss and Damage Fund up and running.

Harjeet Singh, Head of Global Political Strategy, CAN International commended the move by the host of the COP28 climate conference and the other several affluent nations announcing their financial support.

 

“While these funds are valuable in initiating the Fund's activities, it is important to recognise that the costs of rebuilding from the devastating effects of climate disasters run into hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Rich countries, given their significantly higher historical responsibility, must do more on a scale commensurate with their impact on planet-heating emissions," he said.

 

Rachel Cleetus, policy director and lead economist for the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, noted the climate crisis falls disproportionately on marginalised and disadvantaged people. 

 

She therefore said “the consensus recommendations for operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund are far from perfect yet are an important step forward and should be quickly adopted at COP28. Richer nations–including the United States–must also live up to their responsibility and provide robust resources for the Fund.

 

“The needs are immense and crushing for low- and middle-income nations already reeling from billions of dollars of damages and an immense human toll from extreme climate impacts. Moving this agreement forward expeditiously will also create the space for addressing other pressing issues, including the phase out of fossil fuels which are the root cause of climate change and loss and damage.”

 

For Teresa Anderson, Global Lead on Climate Justice, ActionAid International, the COP28 food systems initiative will only be useful if it leads to real commitments to move away from industrialised agriculture and to scale up the adoption of real solutions. 

 

“We need real commitments to move away from industrialised agriculture which is the second largest cause of greenhouse gas emissions. The fossil fuel and fertiliser industries are working hand in hand and the world food systems have become complicit in their own destruction,” she said.

 

COP28 opens in Dubai with calls for accelerated action, higher ambition against the escalating Climate Crisis

The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 is opening today with a resounding call to accelerate collective climate action. The conference takes place in what is already known to be the hottest year ever recorded in human history and as the impacts of the climate crisis wreak unprecedented havoc on human life and livelihoods around the world.

COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 30 November to 12 December 2023, is a decisive moment to act on climate commitments and prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

 

Over 70,000 delegates, including member states, business leaders, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, and various other experts and stakeholders are expected to attend.

UAE has the presidency for COP28, with Dr Sultan Al Jaber as this year’s president.

This year’s COP marks the conclusion of the “global stocktake”, the first assessment of global progress in implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement. The findings are stark: the world is not on track to limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of this century. It does recognize that countries are developing plans for a net-zero future, and the shift to clean energy is gathering speed, but it makes clear that the transition is nowhere near fast enough yet to limit warming within the current ambitions.

A report recently published by UN Climate Change shows that national climate action plans – known as nationally determined contributions, or ‘NDCs’ – would collectively lower greenhouse gas emissions to 2% below 2019 levels by 2030, while the science is clear that a 43% reduction is needed.

The global stocktake must be a catalyst for greater ambition in meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals as nations prepare to submit revised national climate action plans by 2025. It lays out actions on how to accelerate emissions cuts, strengthen resilience to climate impacts, and provide the support and finance needed for the transformation.

Climate finance stands at the heart of this transformation. Replenishing the Green Climate Fund, doubling financial resources for adaptation and operationalizing the loss and damage fund are key to keeping 1.5°C within reach while leaving no one behind.

“The reality is that without much more finance flowing to developing countries, a renewables revolution will remain a mirage in the desert. COP28 must turn it into a reality,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell.

Progress on climate finance at COP28 will be crucial to build trust in other negotiation areas and to lay the groundwork for an even more ambitious “New Collective Quantified Goal” for climate finance, which must be in place next year. It will also set the stage for a just and inclusive transition to renewable energy and the phasing out of fossil fuels.

In the face of rising conflicts and tensions worldwide, Stiell emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to combat climate change, an area in which nations can work together effectively to ensure a sustainable future both for people and the planet.

“We don’t have any time to waste. We need to take urgent action now to reduce emissions. At COP28, every country and every company will be held to account, guided by the north star of keeping 1.5°C within reach,” said COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber.

“All parties should be prepared to deliver a high ambition decision in response to the global stocktake that reduces emissions while protecting people, lives and livelihoods,” Al Jaber added.

For developing countries, the time to treat adaptation as a priority is overdue.

“The gap in adaptation finance is stark - there’s an immediate need for increased and accessible funds. At COP28, we demand clarity on the progress of the doubling of adaptation finance as well as agreeing clear and ambitious targets to achieve the global goal on adaptation,” said Madeleine Diouf Sarr, Chair of the Group of the 46 Least Developed Countries.

On loss and damage, Ms Sarr added: “The progress we’ve made in establishing a loss and damage fund is hugely significant for climate justice, but an empty fund can’t help our people. We expect significant pledges of new and additional finance to be made at COP28 to ensure the loss and damage fund can start delivering support as soon as possible.”

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and COP27 President Sameh Shoukry said: “It is of crucial importance to continue building on previous achievements, but more importantly to implement what we already agreed upon. We cannot achieve our common goals without having everyone on board, most importantly the Global South.

“We need to start delivering on climate justice and provide the needed tools that we already agreed upon in Sharm el-Sheikh for funding loss and damage, including the establishment of a fund. One of the major outcomes that has to come out of COP28 is for the fund to be fully operationalized and funded.”

Key COP28 events

The World Climate Action Summit (WCAS), hosted by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, will convene Heads of State or Government on 1-2 December, when the first part of the COP28 high-level segment will also take place. A resumed high-level segment will take place on 9-10 December.

The WCAS provides Heads of State or Government with the opportunity to set the stage for COP28, build on decisions from previous Conferences of the Parties, raise climate commitments and promote coordinated action to tackle climate change.

The COP28 Presidency will hold open consultations on thematic areas, inviting inputs from the broad mix of stakeholders attending the conference.