350 Africa Responds to US Withdrawal from the Just Energy Transition Partnership

The United States has announced its withdrawal from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with South Africa, signaling a troubling retreat from global climate leadership and an abandonment of vital financial commitments to the world’s most climate-impacted nations.

South Africa, the first country to secure a JETP agreement, was set to receive over $1.5 billion in financial support from the US to transition from coal to renewable energy; however, their exit now leaves a significant funding gap.

This decision follows a troubling pattern of the United States rolling back its climate commitments, including its earlier announcement to exit the Paris Agreement.

The US’s pullback from the JETP marks a dangerous precedent, particularly as the world faces an escalating climate crisis and growing inequality.

“By withdrawing from the JETP, the United States is abandoning its responsibility to support countries like South Africa, which are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and will now face an even steeper climb in achieving its clean energy commitments,” said Landry Ninteretse, 350Africa’s Regional Director. “This is a regressive step, and a betrayal of the trust placed in wealthy nations to honor their financial obligations towards the global transition to clean energy. The US must recognize that climate justice requires concrete, sustained support for developing nations, not retreat from multilateral commitments.”

350Africa calls on South Africa and its remaining international partners to ensure the momentum of the energy transition is not stalled.

South Africa’s commitment to a clean and equitable energy future is more important than ever, and efforts must be made to secure alternative sources of funding to fill the gap left by the US’s retreat.

Tshepo Peele, South Africa Team Lead, said “while the US withdrawal from JETP certainly impacts the financial framework for South Africa’s energy transition, the urgency of a just, renewable-powered future remains unchanged. South Africa must continue to honor its climate commitments, and this moment should push the government to accelerate its plans for a green economy, moving away from coal and scaling up renewables.

“With South Africa hosting the G20 this year, it presents a crucial opportunity to strengthen the country's climate leadership, advocate for increased international support, and prioritize forging new, stronger partnerships with countries and institutions committed to ensuring a just and equitable energy transition.”

 

 

Kofi Adu Domfeh: Trump snubs Paris climate deal the second time, Africa’s hurt?

As Donald Trump was sworn into office for a second term as the President of the United States, he has, for the second time, announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

 

“I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off,” Trump said as he signed the executive order ahead of his inauguration. “The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity”.

 

Trump’s presidential orders include declaring an “Energy Emergency”, which could give the administration increased powers to approve production of both fossil fuels and, interestingly, critical green minerals, essential to the energy transition.

 

Though the withdrawal is immediate, it officially takes a year to kick in; and the order indicates the administration’s intent to limit participating, including cutting funding for climate mitigation and adaptation, and increasing production of fossil-fuels.

 

The US exit from the Paris Agreement means that America is withdrawing from a global pact aimed at mitigating climate change. The agreement, signed in 2015, brings almost 200 countries together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to well below 2°C (3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels.

 

The US is the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind only China. The exit means that America will no longer be bound by the agreement's requirements, such as submitting plans to reduce carbon emissions.

 

However, it's worth noting that the agreement has no enforcement mechanisms, so countries can't be punished for not meeting their targets.

 

Months after taking office for the first time in 2017, President Trump signed an order to withdraw from the pact, a move President Joe Biden promptly reversed on his first day in office in 2021.

 

While wildfires in Los Angeles serve as a reminder of the immediate impacts of the climate crisis, the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement highlights the continued challenges in global climate action.

 

As scientists call for drastic reductions in carbon emissions, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has already noted that the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement would undermine global efforts to halt climate change.

 

“The Paris agreement can survive, but people sometimes can lose important organs or lose the legs and survive. But we don’t want a crippled Paris agreement. We want a real Paris agreement,” Guterres told the Guardian. “It’s very important that the United States remain in the Paris Agreement, and more than remain in the Paris agreement, that the United States adopts the kind of policies that are necessary to make the 1.5 degrees still a realistic objective.”

 

Implications for Africa

 

Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with many countries already experiencing severe droughts, floods, and heatwaves. The US exit may lead to reduced international support for climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in Africa.

 

This could exacerbate the already devastating impacts of climate change on the continent, including food and water scarcity, displacement, and economic instability.

 

“The cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action,” observed Dr. Joyce Kimutai, Climate Scientist at Imperial College London and Kenya Meteorological Department. “Vulnerable communities, who have contributed the least to this crisis, are bearing the heaviest burdens. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are eroding developmental gains and plunging countries further into debt. The longer we wait, the harder recovery will become, and the planet will face massive losses and damages.”

 

The US exit may also lead to a decrease in climate finance for Africa. The Paris Agreement aims to mobilize climate finance for developing countries, including those in Africa. Without US participation, it may be challenging to meet this goal, leaving African countries with limited resources to address climate change.

 

According to Faten Aggad, Executive Director of the African Future Policies Hub, “the world cannot afford to see the largest greenhouse gas emitter per capita and the second largest emitter globally disengage from an agreement that is already under significant strain.

 

“Truth be told: we need the US to act seriously. After all, it is responsible for 13.5% of global emissions - more than 4-fold Africa’s contribution as a full continent. This is the moment for a stronger leadership from industrialized economies, whose higher ambition is the only way forward to compensate for the USA’s failures.”

 

The US exit may also impact African economies that are transitioning to renewable energy. The Paris Agreement aims to promote the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies. Without US participation, African countries may face reduced access to technology, expertise, and funding for renewable energy projects.

 

All Hope Not Lost

 

Even without the US on board, some experts believe that the rest of the world will continue to move forward with climate action.

 

“This decision is a major setback at a time when the urgency of climate change calls for more concerted action, solidarity and greater ambition. Faced with this situation, we reaffirm our commitment to working for fair climate finance and inclusive solutions for the energy transition,” said Mouhamadou Sissoko, Secretary General Teranga Lab, Senegal.

 

According to Just Climate Policy Expert, Julius Mbatia, “the world has lived through this once, and greater multilateral cooperation holds a promise to handle it yet again.”

 

He added that “it's inconceivable that the US pulls out of the Paris Agreement and quench its strategic role in shaping the green and safe future that is in the making. This is not the leadership required at a moment when the majority of the people and States are mobilizing for climate action and issue unmatched commitment to tackling the climate crisis.”

 

The US exit from the Paris Agreement indeed poses significant setback for global climate action, and raises challenges for Africa, from reduced climate finance to decreased support for climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

 

However, many countries, cities, and businesses remain committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the worst impacts of climate change.

 

“Trump attempting to sabotage global efforts to tackle the climate crisis, is a huge threat to our future. Africa, being one of the continents facing the impacts of the climate crisis, will not stop in the face of those who choose to risk everything for the profit of a privileged few,” said Fred Njehu, Pan-African Political Strategist for Greenpeace Africa.

 

Kofi Adu Domfeh is a journalist and climate reality leader; adomfeh@gmail.com

 

 

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: 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.