COP29 is all about climate finance for Africa – AGN Chair

The Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Ali Mohamed has emphasized the importance of climate finance for Africa as the global community prepares for the major UN climate talks, COP29.

Speaking during the launch of the Adaptation Project Incubator for Africa (APIA) in Rabat, Morocco, Ambassador Mohamed said African cannot afford to lose sight of the New Collective Quantified Goal on finance (NCQG) that is being negotiated and set to be agreed at COP29.

“For Africa, COP29 is all about climate finance,” said Ambassador Mohamed. “It is without doubt that Africa is chocking with debt and climate change is worsening the situation. We are therefore constructively engaging within the principles of multilateralism, but with Africa’s special development circumstances in focus, to ensure that the NCQG is realistic and robust enough for developing countries such as ourselves in Africa. We have also made it very clear on several fora that adaptation is a priority for us and we keep engaging and supporting initiatives such as this one, aimed at supporting Africa’s adaptation efforts.”

While African countries are disproportionately affected by extreme climate events, they are among the lowest emitters of greenhouse gases. Based on this situation of dichotomy, the Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI) has launched APIA to address the challenges faced by African countries in accessing climate finance and implementing adaptation measures.

The initiative aims to support the development of well-structured projects and facilitate access to climate funds with an emphasis on the African Direct Access Entities (DAE), in alignment with the objectives of AAI.

To launch the implementation of APIA, AAI has partnered with Africa Agriculture Adaptation (AAA) Foundation. The meeting in Rabat, Morocco, brought together representatives of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the National Designated Authorities (NDAs) and Direct Access Entities (DAEs), to introduce APIA and discuss its objectives, strategies, and expected outcomes.