Clear and strong climate policies are antidote to economic uncertainty – UN Climate Chief

Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Simon Stiell, says clear and strong climate policies are an antidote to trade and economic uncertainty.

 

He believes climate policy can help get trade flowing and economies growing, while preventing wildly destructive climate impacts. 

 

Speaking at the 2025 Nature Summit in Panamá City, Panamá, he noted that a new generation of national climate plans are essential all around the world.

 

He says these plans, when well implemented through the right political leadership, can attract a bonanza of benefits, including more jobs, more revenue and a virtuous cycle of increased investment.

 

“In the past, climate plans have often focused mainly on cuts - cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and to old-fashioned energy. This new generation of climate plans are really about growth. Growing industries and economies. And building a better future. One where nature is protected, and where people have better opportunities,” he stated. 

 

Decarbonization

 

Amid all the crisis and trade disruption, the UN Climate Change chief says there is also good news of clean energy projects in pipelines across the globe.

 

“Investors have their fingers on the button - waiting to push go on multi-billion-dollar commitments that will make lives better,” Simon Stiell.

 

He says the political and policy signals from almost all of the world’s largest economies are very clear: global decarbonization is unstoppable and continues to gather pace and scale. 

 

More than 90% of new energy last year was renewable – from rapid technological advancements in Electric Vehicle charging, to breakthroughs in energy storage, as the costs of wind, solar, and so many more clean technologies keep coming down.  

 

Brazil is putting nature at the heart of their climate plan; Germany is promising to invest billions in climate action to increase security; and China, for the first time, will set a new national climate target that covers every greenhouse gas and sector of the economy. 

 

“This isn’t only because of their better environmental angels. It’s because global decarbonization is the biggest economic transformation of our age, making it one of the biggest commercial opportunities we’ve ever seen,” said Simon Stiell.

 

Cooperation for more prosperity

 

Every country wants to take advantage of a $2 trillion clean energy market, said the UN Climate chief.

 

“While competition is a good thing, now is not the time for zero-sum thinking. We need to work together to ensure that everyone benefits. That new markets open and new trade routes form. 

 

“We simply cannot afford a two-speed transition, where some countries race ahead with clean energy and climate resilience and leave others behind. Because a supply chain is only as strong as its most fragile link.

 

The good news is, we are also hearing loud and clear from heads of state that they remain committed to cooperation on climate. To build on breakthroughs we’ve seen at every recent COP,” Simon Stiell noted. 

 

Panama is hosting the first of the new revamped UN Climate Weeks, focusing on making real-world progress, showcasing solutions and exploring how they can be scaled up and shared.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

Climate Change: AGN calls for a ‘Just Transition’ that addresses Africa’s energy poverty

Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Dr. Richard Muyungi, has called for a ‘Just Transition’ that addresses Africa’s energy poverty.

 

Emphasizing the ‘Africa First’ agenda, he said Africa cannot talk about just transition while over 600 million people in Africa are without access to energy and 900 without clean cooking solutions.

 

“It is for this reason that the inclusion of the Clean Cooking agenda, which is being championed by H.E, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania in the just transition work programme, is key,” he noted.

 

Dr. Muyungi was addressing the first Strategic Meeting of AGN in Zanzibar, under the chairmanship of the United Republic of Tanzania.

 

“I am delighted to note that the African Union, at its last assembly, adopted both the AU declaration on Clean Cooking and the Dar-es-Salaam Declaration on Mission 300 Energy Summit that focuses on providing energy access to at least 300 million people in Africa by 2030. At this meeting, we have resolved to ensure these two important decisions by the AU Assembly are embedded in the Just transition and mitigation work programmes towards Belem and beyond,” added the AGN Chair. 

 

In the context of climate change, a ‘just transition’ refers to a strategy that ensures a fair and equitable transition to a low-carbon economy, minimizing negative impacts on workers and communities while maximizing social and economic opportunities. It aims to balance climate action with social justice, creating decent work, reducing inequalities, and ensuring no one is left behind.

 

At its fourth session, the Conference of Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) decided to establish a work programme on ‘Just Transition’ pathways to advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement.  

 

The decision emphasized that just transition pathways must be based on nationally defined development priorities and include social protection so as to mitigate potential impacts associated with the transition.

 

Other priorities discussed and agreed at the AGN meeting included;

 

-      Finalizing Africa’s approach towards the new round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0), ensuring they are ambitious, equitable, and supported by adequate means of implementation;

 

-      Securing clarity and operationalization of the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, building upon AU and CAHOSCC relevant guiding decisions and the "Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3 trillion USD by 2035";

 

-      Ensuring decisive progress on adaptation, including the adoption of robust indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation, and tangible progress on National Adaptation Plans;

 

-      Defending Africa’s equity-centered positions in the evolving global climate governance, particularly in loss and damage, technology transfer, just transition work programmes, and transparency frameworks;

 

-      Reaffirming the critical importance of youth and gender inclusion in advancing an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable climate future for the African continent, recognising that youth and women are not only disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change but are also powerful agents of change and innovation in driving transformative climate action; and

 

-      Reaffirming that Africa’s natural wealth presents a transformative opportunity to drive global climate change mitigation while catalysing inclusive, sustainable economic growth across the continent, with particular attention to how Africa’s endowment of 60% of the world’s highest-quality solar potential, significant wind, vast hydropower capacity, could enable Africa to leapfrog into a low-carbon future while contributing meaningfully to global emissions reductions.

 

Meanwhile, the AGN Chair reaffirmed the group’s crucial role in technically advising the African Union’s key institutions notably, the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and Committee of African Heads of State on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), ensuring that Africa's priorities are consistently, coherently, and effectively articulated within the UNFCCC process and beyond. 

 

“Our Group remains the only technical backbone that sustains Africa’s political decisions on climate change,” said Dr. Muyungi. “It is for this reason that this meeting is designed, among other objectives, to address decisions emanating from the February 2025 CAHOSCC meeting in Addis Ababa, and to provide clear technical advice that will guide the African continent throughout this year towards COP30 and beyond.”

 

Generally, the meeting reaffirmed Africa’s unwavering commitment to a unified, science-driven, and justice-centred approach to climate negotiations, emphasising the centrality of adaptation, climate finance, clean energy access, just transition, and institutional strengthening anchored in mandates from the African Union, AMCEN, and CAHOSCC as essential pillars of Africa’s climate agenda. 

 

"Africa’s adaptation and resilience building must remain at the heart of our conversations, both in Africa and globally. Our countries and communities are on the frontlines of climate impacts—yet we have contributed the least to the crisis. Belem must deliver stronger commitments that prioritize the urgent needs of vulnerable communities, protecting livelihoods, ecosystems, and economies,” said Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) Executive Director.

 

He added that “central to this is adaptation finance. It is not enough to promise – finance must flow, and it must be accessible, predictable, adequate and scaled up dramatically. We must demand concrete delivery on the new collective quantified goal on finance. Africa must lead the call for a goal that is not only ambitious but based on real needs, reflecting the scale of the adaptation and mitigation challenges we face.”  

 

UN agrees first-ever global carbon tax on a polluter, but deal fails to address climate finance needs for developing countries

Diplomats at the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) have agreed to the world’s first-ever carbon pricing mechanism applied to a major polluting industry – global shipping.

 

On Friday, 11 April, at IMO headquarters in London, countries voted during the closing plenary to adopt a global framework that will put a carbon price on shipping emissions that will help the industry decarbonise and encourage the use of cleaner technologies.

 

The overall policy is expected to be formally adopted in October 2025, though several technical details remain unresolved.

 

The tax will generate $30–40 billion – about $10 billion annually – in revenues by 2030. The agreement is projected to deliver at best 10% absolute emissions reduction in the shipping sector by 2030 – far short of the IMO’s own targets set in their 2023 revised strategy, which calls for at least a 20% cut by 2030, with a stretch goal of 30%.

 

The funds will be ring-fenced for decarbonizing the maritime sector alone and not go towards climate financing for developing countries. 

"In the end, the best possible outcome was achieved. The shipping industry has taken the lead in showing other hard-to-abate sectors that climate action is possible. African delegations must be commended, including Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, and others who rose to the occasion and supported the compromise,” said Maria Ogbugo, Senior Associate, African Future Policies Hub. “Now that the IMO has agreed on measures that would apply on a global level, it is key that the various regional emissions schemes start seriously considering pulling back on their unilateral measures to avoid multiplicity of schemes piling up layer after layer of costs on African consumers."

 

Starting in 2028, ships will be required either to transition to lower-carbon fuel mixes or pay for the excess emissions they generate. Vessels that continue to burn conventional fossil fuels will face a $380 per tonne fee on the most intensive portion of their emissions, and $100 per tonne on remaining emissions above a certain threshold.

 

The policy, backed by 63 countries including Brazil, China, the EU, South Africa, Kenya, Senegal and Namibia, sets a global precedent: Despite objections from petro-states like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Russia, and Venezuela – who opposed both the substance and the procedure of the agreement – Norway's compromise proposal, as the Chair of the IMO, passed in the final vote.

 

At UN climate talks in Baku in November 2024, countries agreed to a post-2025 $1.3 trillion climate finance deal to support developing countries in the energy transition. Countries are looking to public, private and innovative sources of finance to close the climate finance gap. 

 

Minister Antony Derjacques of the Seychelles said: “The developing countries with the greatest need came here and offered a solution. How can the other major economies ask us to take a weak deal home to our people, who are suffering as a result of the climate crisis? And how can they take it back to their constituents?”

 

The carbon pricing mechanism, based on emissions intensity, will initially allow the use of fossil liquefied natural gas (LNG).

 

However, the regulation will progressively penalize the use of gas by the shipping industry.

 

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.”

 

 

Climate Action: Over 90% of countries fail to submit new NDCs by deadline

As the official deadline passes for countries to submit their revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, only 13 of the 195 parties have done so.

 

Alarmingly, this group includes just five developed countries, which are required to lead the way on climate action. 

 

Under the Paris Agreement, every country must update its national climate action plan every five years. These NDC plans outline how nations intend to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

 

This year’s submissions should extend their new NDCs to 2030 and outline new objectives for the period up to 2035, setting the tone for a decisive decade of climate action.

 

The countries that submitted their NDCs on time include Andorra, Brazil, Ecuador, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Singapore, St. Lucia, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, Uruguay, the USA, and Zimbabwe.

 

Among the developed countries yet to submit their NDCs is the European Union, which has indicated it will not do so until September, just weeks before COP30 in Brazil.

 

“We expect countries to submit NDCs that will collectively deliver 1.5°C alignment and climate justice before COP 30. It’s now or never for the planet,” stated Fernanda Carvalho, WWF Head of Policy for Climate and Energy.

 

Climate Action Network has called on developed and rich countries to urgently submit their NDCs in line with 1.5°C pathways and for them to be grounded in climate justice.

 

“It’s shocking that only 13 out of 195 countries have updated their NDCs, with the majority of rich nations not submitting on deadline, exposing the alarming lack of political will for ambition under the Paris Agreement,” said Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of CAN International.

 

“We recognise that developing countries would need robust, grants-based public funding to deliver real additional climate ambition. Bold targets alone won’t cut it; NDCs must be backed by the resources needed to make them a reality. For COP30 to be a true turning point in climate action, this new round of NDCs must restore confidence and drive a transformative and just transition - one that leaves no one behind,” he stated.

 

As CAN has previously outlined in its Guidelines and its letter to the Troika, for the NDCs to be truly transformative they must:

 

-      Include ambitious commitments in the energy sector as part of countries’ plans to transition away from fossil fuels, halting the destruction of ecosystems, and other plans for vulnerable sectors.

 

-      Enable a just transition for communities and workers, with robust social protections.

 

-      Prioritise equity and transparency, ensuring climate plans are developed inclusively with civil society and local stakeholders.

 

According to David Knecht, climate expert at Fastenaktion Switzerland, “the next NDCs must catalyse community-driven development. At the same time, the NDCs 3.0 need to include concrete fossil fuel phaseout plans, as agreed upon in Dubai, and we expect developed countries to lead on this, as well as on providing direly needed grant-based finance for the global transition. To signal to the world what is needed, countries must speed-up and present soonest NDCs that set the highest expectations.”