COP29: Why Climate Finance is top priority for Africa

Another round of climate change talks is here again at Baku, Azerbaijan, to address the rampant climate crisis.

 

“This crisis is affecting every single individual in the world in one way or another,” acknowledged Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change at the opening of COP29.  

 

The 29^th Conference of Parties (COP29) in the climate change negotiations has been dubbed the “Climate Finance COP” as a new climate finance target is sought to help developing countries overcome their vulnerabilities to the climate crisis.

 

“We must agree a new global climate finance goal,” said Simon. “If at least two thirds of the world's nations cannot afford to cut emissions quickly, then every nation pays a brutal price”.  

 

Civil society organizations like 350.org are making it clear that fair, equitable finance is the bridge to climate action.

 

At COP29, they are demanding countries pledge to an ambitious climate finance goal, or New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) of at least $1 trillion, which must be in the form of grants and based on the financial, climate and social needs of the Global South. 

 

Countries are also to agree to put forward climate goals – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – in line with fairly tripling renewable energy capacity and phasing out fossil fuels by 2030.

 

According to Simon Stiell, if nations can’t build resilience into supply chains, the entire global economy will be brought to its knees, emphasizing that “no country is immune”. 

  

“Let's dispense with any idea that climate finance is charity. An ambitious new climate finance goal is entirely in the self-interest of every nation, including the largest and wealthiest,” he noted. 

 

There is also an expected acceleration of the shift to clean-energy and climate-resilience.

 

African CSOs posture  

 

African Civil Society leaders are urging a focus on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) to achieve substantial and equitable financing solutions for climate action.

 

Under the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), the CSOs highlighted the urgent need for global commitments on adaptation, just transition, critical minerals, mitigation, and transparency in carbon markets.

 

“We call for the establishment of an ambitious sub-goal for adaptation finance that prioritizes public, grant-based support for developing countries, responding to needs outlined in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and other national plans,” reads the statement.

 

Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of PACJA, emphasized that COP29’s NCQG negotiations must address Africa's pressing adaptation needs as well as Loss and Damage.

 

“If the NCQG fails to consider the adaptation needs of vulnerable populations, COP29 will not meet the threshold to be a genuine Climate Finance COP,” he stated.

 

The adaptation finance gap for developing nations remains significant – currently 10 to 18 times greater than actual international financial flows, which amount to approximately USD 20 billion per year. This falls well short of the estimated USD 166-366 billion needed annually to meet adaptation demands.

 

Prof. Seth Osafo, Senior Legal Advisor at the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) said it’s had to talk about the NCQG leaving behind considerations of other dimensions.

 

“We must reimagine the quality of finance, moving beyond debt-based approaches—currently at 72%—to include concessional loans, grants, and innovative financing mechanisms. Additionally, funding must be accessible, predictable, and structured to prioritize essential sub-goals, including Loss and Damage, while aligning on whether a single-layer or multi-layer approach best serves the mobilization and provision of funds,” Prof Osafo stated.



As the COP29 discussions begin, African Civil Society wants world leaders to prioritize issues that meet the urgent needs of African communities on the frontlines of climate change. 

 

by Kofi Adu Domfeh

 

Unpacking climate impacts and energy transition at the Africa Climate Academy

Africa faces knowledge gaps that hinder engagements in the global energy transition, even as countries set ambitious net-zero targets and major oil companies shift toward cleaner energy.

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), a policy think tank, believes the continent needs fresh perspectives on the risks of oil dependence and the opportunities of the energy transition for inclusive growth and development.

“It is time for us to think how we can be part of the economic transformation from renewable energy, inspite of the challenges with climate change,” said Benjamin Boakye, ACEP Executive Director.

He was addressing the inaugural cohort of the Africa Climate Academy, an educational platform designed to reshape perceptions, build knowledge, foster collaboration, and empower advocacy for a sustainable future.

The Academy brought together policymakers, media professionals, civil society leaders, and academics to acquire the knowledge and tools to address Africa’s climate and energy challenges and drive sustainable action.

The primary goal of the energy transition is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, but a just transition will need Africa to be at the forefront of implementation.

Voices for Africa to go for nuclear energy have been strong, emphasizing that it’s cheaper and the option for industrialization.

Benjamin Boakye, however, believes “the argument that we cannot industrialize with renewable energy is being challenged due to improving technology to ease access to solar, among others”.

Failure of the Paris Agreement

Climate change is affecting every inhabited region across the globe, with human influence contributing to many observed changes in weather and climate extremes.

Human-induced climate change has contributed to increases in agricultural and ecological droughts in some regions due to evapotranspiration increases.

Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Ghana and Vice Chair of IPCC Working Group I, during a session, unpacked the evidence from the IPCC about the reality of climate change.

“The impact of climate change is affecting our environment and has the potential to destroy our very existence. It is affecting our habitat, the air we breathe, water we drink, the food we eat,” she said.

Global temperatures have already risen 1.36°C as at 2023 and will probably rise a further 3°, or even up to 4.5-5° by 2100.

Regional temperatures are rising; cold days, nights and frost have become rarer; hot days, nights and heat-waves are more frequent; extreme rainfall and flooding events are more frequent; extreme droughts and massive wildfires are more common; and in rural communities, forests and farmland are impacted, making crops and food scarce and expensive for all.

According to Prof, Klutse, there is a failure of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change and international commitments to emission reductions.

Assessments of current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) suggest that these reductions, even if fully implemented, are unlikely to limit global temperature increases to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

“We’re slowly being boiled in a pot, but we’re not being ambitious in solutions to climate change,” observed the scientist. “We should not go beyond the tipping point. We need to ambitiously remove fossil fuels to control carbon dioxide emissions”.

Collection Action

Some extreme weather events observed over the past decade would have been extremely unlikely to occur without human influence on the climate system.

Dr. Daniel Tutu Benefoh, Acting Director of the Climate Change Unit at Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency, noted that the resource rich part of Africa have the most climate vulnerable people, hence it is important that climate change is carried to the belly of development and keep the conversation there.

He facilitated a session on Integrating Climate Change into Planning Frameworks, covering strategies for mainstreaming climate considerations, fostering inclusivity, monitoring progress, and overcoming implementation challenges.

The Africa Climate Academy is designed to transform the continent’s approach to climate action and shape the future of energy in Africa.

Dr Charles Gyamfi Ofori, Policy Lead, Climate Change and Energy Transition at ACEP, emphasized that the energy transition is real and presents several opportunities.

But he says “we have to be intentional in assessing the benefits,” adding that “continued investment, R&D and policy support is relevant for Africa”.

by Kofi Adu Domfeh

COP29: New text for a new climate finance goal released ahead of conference

Ahead of the major UN climate change conference, COP29 in Baku, the latest draft version of the wording for the new climate finance goal, known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), has been released. 

 

This draft text could form the basis for the final negotiations at COP29 if Parties agree to build on it.

 

If accepted, this text will be critical in the negotiations as it guides Parties in their decision-making about adopting a robust and equitable finance deal at COP29. 

 

The Climate Action Network, along with other civil society organisations, says the Global North must start meeting the historical climate debt it owes to the Global South in the region of US$5 trillion per year, while bearing in mind that no amount of money can ever fully replace the lives lost to climate impacts.

 

The Global North can only begin clearing their debt with a COP29 agreement on finance that is made up of public money via grants, aimed at supporting the Global South in mitigating, adapting to, and recovering from the devastating impacts of escalating climate change, addressing loss and damage.

 

The new text presents both clarity and challenges, underscoring the urgent need to ensure that qualitative climate finance is delivered and grounded in equity, transparency, and accountability.

 

There are still unresolved issues, with many critical elements in brackets, which means they are still up for debate. At the same time, important components are missing.

 

Now more than ever, it is crucial to keep pressure on developed nations to meet their commitments, focusing on grants, not loans, and centering the voices of vulnerable communities.

What Must Happen Before COP29

 

Developed countries need to stop undermining the negotiations with delaying tactics and evading their historical responsibilities.

 

The structure of the new climate finance goal (NCQG) should remain straightforward, anchored in Article 9 of the Paris Agreement, and focused on the obligations of developed countries to mobilise and provide funding for developing nations.

 

For developing countries, it is crucial to remain vocal and clear about the scope and quality of the new finance goal.

 

Global financial architecture slow in addressing Africa’s climate finance needs – Report

A new assessment of Africa's position on reforms of the global financial infrastructure reveals slow progress in addressing the continent's need for climate financing, debt concerns, and lack of transparency.

 

The African Future Policies Hub has released a report highlighting the key challenges and opportunities facing African nations in the global financial system and climate finance landscape.

 

“The assessment shows little to no progress is being made on addressing the continent’s debt concerns, high cost of borrowing, and actual disbursements against financial commitments and pledges−putting into question transparency and accountability frameworks in the financing ecosystem,” said Maria Nkhonjera, Senior Policy Lead (Public Finance), African Future Policies Hub.

 

The report, titled "Assessing Progress Towards Reforming the Global Financial Architecture: An African Perspective,” outlines the urgent need for reforms to address imbalances in the IMF quota system, increase climate finance flows to Africa, and enhance the effectiveness of multilateral development banks.

 

“As we head to COP29 where financing decisions will be taken, it is important to also take stock of progress on the reforms that are said to help us generate the trillions of funding needed to finance climate action in developing countries,” noted Faten Aggad at the African Future Policies Hub. “Despite positive developments, there is clearly significant work that is still needed especially reforms requested by African countries based on their realities.”  

 

Here are key findings of the report:

 

Enhanced African Influence: The African Union's admission to the G20 and the appointment of a third sub-Saharan African representative to the IMF executive board has strengthened African representation in global financial infrastructure reforms.

 

Unresolved Quota imbalances: The IMF's quota system remains heavily skewed in favour of developed economies, with African nations holding a disproportionately small share.

 

Mixed Progress on Climate Finance: While advancements have been made in loss and damage mechanisms, commitments to adaptation finance and the delivery of climate finance commitments remain insufficient.

 

Multilateral Development Bank Reforms: MDB’s have initiated comprehensive reforms, but implementation has been uneven. A number of Africa’s priorities are yet to be operationalised, including the re-channeling of SDRs through the African Development Bank.

 

Capital Efficiency and Country Engagement: Progress in enhancing capital efficiency and transforming country engagement has been limited.

 

IDA Replenishment: African heads of state have called for a US$120 billion replenishment of the International Development Association, but major donors and World Bank management are only considering a US$105 billion benchmark.

 

G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatment: The G20 Common Framework remains unreformed, with limited progress in addressing high borrowing costs and lengthy debt resolution.

 

UN Tax Convention: Significant progress has been made towards establishing a legally binding UN tax convention, which could help address tax avoidance and evasion.

 

Global Climate Tax Standards and Trade Measures: There has been progress in advancing global climate taxes, but no progress on addressing unilateral climate-related trade measures.

 

Transparency in Climate Finance: Concerns remain over the transparency of "new and additional" climate finance, hindering effective climate action and resource allocation.

 

Debt-for-Climate and Nature Swaps: The use of debt-for-climate and nature swaps holds promise but has been limited in Africa.

 

New Collective Quantified Goal: African negotiators have called for the NCQG to be based on a needs-driven approach to address countries' significant financial needs for climate adaptation and mitigation.

 

Official Development Assistance: The UN has set a target for developed countries to allocate 0.7% of their Gross National Income to ODA, but funding levels have been declining.

 

The report calls for continuous political pressure on global financial leaders and targeted advocacy efforts to drive progress in the reform of the international financial system.

 

"Reforming the global financial architecture means many things, but from an African perspective, especially responding to the UNFCCC process, it appears clear that progress remains critically insufficient until and unless we see significant new and additional international provision of grant-equivalent finance to developing countries, on the scale of the hundreds of billions required, respectively, to equitably address mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage needs," stated Iskander Erzini Vernoit, Imal Initiative for Climate and Development.

 

Upcoming negotiations offer a crucial opportunity for Africa to articulate its position and advocate for a system that truly supports its transformation and development goals.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

 

Climate change exposed 2 billion to more than 30 days of health-threatening temperatures

Climate Central is set to release a new report, revealing that one in four people on the planet experienced climate change-driven temperatures every day in June, July, and August because of the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, and coal, and human activities.

 

Between June and August, 2 billion people were exposed to more than 30 days of health-threatening temperatures strongly influenced by climate change.

 

Human-induced heat worsened drought conditions all over the world, including in Russia, China, Italy and Ghana, leading to crop failures, prompting governments to declare emergency measures, and resulting in export bans.

 

72 countries experienced their hottest summer since at least 1970, significantly driven by climate change. 180 cities in the Northern Hemisphere experienced at least one extreme heatwave from June to August. These heatwaves are, on average, 21 times more likely today because of carbon pollution, mainly caused by burning coal, oil and gas.

 

“High temperatures that were clearly influenced by climate change jeopardized the health of billions around the world during the past three months,” said Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at Climate Central. “No region, country, or city is safe from the deadly threats posed by burning fossil fuels.”

 

Using Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index, this new analysis quantifies the impact of climate change on temperatures and estimates the number of people affected by these extreme conditions. It provides detailed data on heat exposure at global, regional, local levels, and in about 1,200 cities.

 

To estimate the risks of heat to human health, researchers looked at days in which temperatures were significantly hotter than the historical record — the “risky heat” days. Temperatures on these days are hotter than 90% of temperatures observed in a local area over the 1991-2020 period — this represents a minimum mortality threshold at which heat-related health risks climb statistically.

 

Key Findings:

 

Over 2 billion people (25% of the global population) experienced 30 or more days of risky heat that were made at least three times more likely by climate change.

 

More than 4 billion people faced unusual temperatures made at least three times more likely by climate change on August 13, the peak of the global heat.

 

During this record-breaking season, when 72 countries broke their heat record for the June-August period, few urban areas escaped the impacts of carbon pollution, mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

 

The average person experienced 17 extra days of “risky heat” around the world because of climate change, representing a potential risk to global health.

 

Climate Central is a non-advocacy, non-profit science and news organization providing authoritative information to help the public and policymakers make sound decisions about climate and energy.

COP 29: African common position on climate finance and more endorsed by environment ministers

The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) has adopted the African common position, highlighting the continent’s key priorities for the upcoming 29^th session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

 

The 10^th special session of AMCEN, an annual gathering to discuss and strengthen environmental governance, was held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, under the theme: “Raising Africa’s Ambition to Reduce Land Degradation, Desertification, and Drought.”

 

A key agenda of AMCEN over the years is the African common position on climate change negotiations—a declaration containing key priorities and messages in the various themes of the climate negotiation process. 

 

The need to unlock climate finance has, for years, dominated the discussions for Africa, and it was equally the case at this year’s session, at which the importance of climate finance was highlighted and reiterated. 

 

It was reported that despite African countries submitting ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC, there has not been corresponding support for their implementation. To achieve their NDCs, African countries need an estimated US$2.8 trillion between 2020 and 2030.

 

“The continent has been warming at a faster rate than the global average. From Algeria to Zambia, climate-driven disasters are getting worse, inflicting the most suffering on those who did least to cause them. In Africa, as in all regions, the climate crisis is an economic sinkhole, sucking the momentum out of economic growth. In fact, many African nations are losing up to 5% of GDP as a result of climate impacts,” observed Simon Stiell, UNFCCC Executive Secretary.

 

Ahead of COP29, the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) is prioritising the need for ambitious climate finance outcomes, said AGN Chair, Ali Mohamed, in his presentation on Africa’s priorities.

 

“We are particularly focusing on an ambitious New Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) outcome that is based on evolving needs as reflected in developing countries’ NDCs, National Adaptation Plans, and other national climate planning and programming instruments.

 

“Our position includes; a quantum of $1.3trillion per annum by 2030; quality of finance that is informed by criteria including debt sustainability, cost of borrowing, and significantly from public sources, thus emphasizing grant and highly concessional finance; and transparent mechanisms in respect of accountability,” he said.  

 

The adopted AMCEN climate change decision further highlights the importance of adaptation to Africa, in the context of its well-known vulnerabilities to climate change, particularly in climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture and water, with cascading effects into the health sector.  

 

“As highlighted in the 2023 State of Climate Report in Africa, the continent remains on the front lines of fighting climate change and its impacts; from rising temperatures to shifting rainfall patterns, and other extreme weather events,” noted the AGN Chair.

 

“As a consequence, key sectors such as agriculture, water and health are in dire straits. Crumbling agricultural productivity and production due to either droughts or floods, water scarcity and rising temperatures are not only causing food insecurity but also leading to serious health challenges for the people. Both health and climate experts keep highlighting nutrition-related challenges, heat stress, occurrence and increase of certain infectious diseases such as malaria and waterborne illnesses, among others. A deeper understanding on this nexus is a must for effective adaptation”. 

 

Other key priorities for Africa contained in the adopted common position include; the call for the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund to support African countries in coping with the irreversible impacts of climate change and aid in the recovery of affected communities; equitable just transition in the context of Africa’s unique needs and development circumstances; the need to launch work on Africa’s special needs and special circumstances recognising Africa’s vulnerability; and finalisation of rules for carbon markets that are robust and deliver environmental integrity and the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.  

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

Climate Change: Aggressive land use and agriculture to accelerate greenhouse gas emissions in West Africa

Greenhouse gas emissions in West Africa are expected to be accelerated by growing population, intensive agriculture and other aggressive land use changes.

 

Thus according to a new study, “Greenhouse Gas Determination in West Africa Agricultural Landscapes” (GreenGaDe) project, which shows the effects of increased emissions will contribute to heat-related health illnesses, influence climate change and impact on food production.

               

The project is embedded in the trans-disciplinary West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted land Use (WASCAL) and funded by the German Federal Minister of Education and Research (BMBF).

 

The study, conducted by scientists from Germany, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger, focused on the emission of primary greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide that contribute to global warming.

 

These gases absorb long-wave radiation hindering the heat from escaping into outer space, ultimately causing global warming and climate change. The effects of this phenomenon have become pronounced with population growth and agricultural expansion.

 

The researchers sought to inform climate adaptation policies and promote climate-smart agriculture among smallholder farmers, who are being admonished to set up tree canopies to preserve carbon pools in soil and vegetation.

 

“Forests in agricultural ecological systems are important. They facilitate carbon storage, mitigating the impact of climate change, and the like. In the future climate change will be more severe and I would encourage farmers to look into the future and improve their carbon field by developing more tree canopies,” said Prof. Anja Linstaedter, Consortium Principal Investigators of the GreenGaDe Project.

 

Food production systems are responsible for 19-29% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In developing countries, 90% of the emissions originate from agriculture and deforestation. But it is not known how much greenhouse gasses are released by different agricultural systems and management practices.

 

The GreenGaDe project has the goal of providing policymakers and managers with data and predictions to serve as a clear basis for decision-making.

 

The study aims to quantify carbon pool dynamics and GHG emitted under different land use practices, and to improve stakeholders' understanding of GHG dynamics in the West African region.

 

A stakeholders’ workshop in West Africa’s agricultural landscapes explored stronger collaborations to improve agriculture and climate related issues.

 

“Nitrous oxide emissions occur mostly through agricultural activities associated with increased use of synthetic fertilizers, deposition of animal excreta (urine and dung), disproportionate application of manure to farmlands, and inefficient use of irrigation water,” said Dr. Reginald Guuroh, principal investigator for the Ghana project team.

 

“One aspect is the engagement of farmers, testing their practices and their knowledge. And farmers have been educated and waiting on the adoption of climate-smart adoptions. And our partners have been very helpful in finding results,” he said.

 

Specialists from agronomy, forestry, modelling, environmental chemistry and monitoring and sociology from Germany and three West African countries worked on the project, examining and comparing different agro-ecosystems in West Africa, including forests, open savannahs, pastures and fields.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh