Climate talks in Lima could trigger greater climate crisis in Africa

Civil society observers have warned that the new climate talks in Lima could trigger even greater climate crisis in Africa, if they are not careful to protect the rights of poor and vulnerable in the continent most impacted by climate change.

“Negotiations on a new climate deal are struggling due to trust issues – but we will not be hoodwinked by technical or procedural tricks,” said Mithika Mwenda, General Secretary of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).

He was referring to problems at the talks over the responses of rich developed countries which show no sense of urgency.

“News that Japan wants to count coal power plants as climate finance, or that still nobody has endorsed the African proposal for a renewable energy partnership, just show that dirty energy has too many champions here,” noted Mithika. “The litmus test of Lima will be – does it see pre-2020 climate action increase? So far the silence is deafening”.

Rev. Dr. Tolbert Jallah from FECCIWA, an umbrella body of faith-based organizations observed “we were promised that emission cuts would be strengthened this year, they weren’t. Instead African countries are been saddled with additional load of paying for climate debt which they least contributed to”.

 

The UN talks, lasting two weeks in Lima, are focused on increasing climate actions in the near-term and on creating a new climate agreement for 2015 – to come in to effect in 2020.

“Africa must stay united and stay strong - we will name and shame those who break from the position. Any climate change deal that is leading us straight to 3^oC of warming causing untold problems of hunger,  starvation, disasters, conflicts and wars in Africa is not in the interest of the continent and should not be accepted,” said Samson Ogallah of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/ in Lima, Peru