• civil society organisations have taken the cue and are now demanding nothing short of tangible deals from the negotiations.
• They are demanding the tripling of renewable energy in Africa.
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As climate negotiations in Dubai enter the homestretch, African participants are crying foul that the talks have not yielded much.
African Group of Negotiators chairperson Collins Nzovu said the continent is cautious of past financial commitments, similar to those being made at COP28.
“We note a historic and positive start to this conference where the Loss and Damage Fund was operationalised and initial financial commitments made within minutes," he said.
"As we welcome this good news, we are cautious of similar commitments made in the past, which, from our standpoint, have not been fulfilled. We hope this won’t be the case with the Loss and Damage Fund."
COP28 has mobilised $83 billion in the past few days.
Some $792 million has been mobilised to operationalise and capitalise on funding for loss and damage.
Nzovu, however, said more resources are needed as loss and damage require billions, if not trillions, of dollars.
But even as he asked for more resources, he said the continent is keen on having past promises delivered.
"Developed countries have not met the US$100 billion per year mobilisation goal by 2020. The goal of doubling adaptation finance from 2019 levels by 2025 is an undertaking on paper only," Nzovu said.
"Various reports demonstrate the enormous climate change needs of developing countries and how present public climate finance flows are not forthcoming, inadequate, and lack quality."
He said the African continent went to Dubai focused and determined to ensure that COP28 delivers a fair and balanced global stock take that catalyses greater ambition across all elements of climate action.
Nzovu said they expect the COP, which will end on Tuesday, to deliver tangible outcomes that reflect Africa’s aspirations, especially the need for enhanced climate adaptation.
He said adaptation is a key priority for Africa and a critical component in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
“Adaptation is a matter of survival for us in Africa. Amid all the summits and meetings taking place to discuss this issue, what Africans need to see is action to help us adapt to this changing climate. How are we to cope with the persistent droughts, the devastating storms, and the rising seas that threaten our very lives and livelihoods?”
The civil society organisations have taken the cue and are now demanding nothing short of tangible deals from the negotiations.
They are demanding the tripling of renewable energy in Africa, more focus on adaptation and increased financing for the continent.
Led by 350.org, Power Shift Africa and the Access Coalition, the organisations have urged the negotiators to push for an outcome that will yield a fast, fair and fully funded transition from fossil fuels.
Power Shift Africa lead for Just Transition Amos Wemanya said the ongoing talks are not the place to protect countries’ selfish interests.
“Taking such a position would be absurd. This COP should be a place to forge collaborations that allow all countries to phase out fossil fuels. It is time for everyone at this COP to call out the energy system that is responsible for the climate crisis the world is currently experiencing. There is nothing like abated or unabated fossil fuels,” he said.
Wemanya said they knew the source of the climate crisis.
“We must address emissions from the source. We must also phase out subsidies and other financial support for fossil fuels. It is also important to cease using convenient language such as efficient or inefficient energy forms,” he said.
Florence Gichoya from Access Coalition said there is need to take a needs-based approach to attain a just transition in energy.
“Even within countries in Africa, different communities have different energy needs. The transition pathways we promote must accommodate these needs. We must have the end user in mind while developing any means of energy for it to be just,” she said.
Gichoya said rural communities without access to clean energy in Global South must not be forgotten.
“COP28 should also make a strong commitment to phase out fossil fuels. This phase-out should be done equitably. Every decision we make at this COP will affect us not just now but for generations to come. What we decide today will be stuck with us forever.”
350 Ghana Reducing Our Carbon national coordinator Portia Mensah said African leaders must reject distractions such as oil and gas expansion projects in the name of energy access and job creation on the continent.
“Doing so will only worsen the suffering of vulnerable communities in Africa who lack access to energy to date. Instead, this climate conference must reflect a strong commitment to tripling renewable energy in Africa."
The civil society has said the two per cent (about $60 billion) investment received by the continent in the last decade for renewable energy development is 'unfair, unjust, and unacceptable'.
They want renewable energy to be scaled up to more than 15,000GW by 2030, or an average of 1,500GW annually, to keep the 1.5°C temperature target within reach.
To achieve this, they are pushing for more political support and a shift in policy and investment.
In the Nairobi Declaration of the Africa Climate Summit, African leaders noted that meeting the renewable energy target by 2030 requires an estimated $600 billion, which translates to tenfold increase in finance flowing into Africa’s renewable energy sector over the next seven years.
Already, some negotiators have sounded a warning that the text of the Global Goal on Adaptation is weak and is becoming a major setback for developing countries such as Kenya.
The negotiators said the text does not sufficiently address the aspiration for setting the required adaptation measures and indicators and mobilising adaptation financing.
The global goal of adaptation aims at enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change.
“Overall, the Global Goal on Adaptation text is weak and does not sufficiently address the aspiration for setting the required adaptation measures and indicators and mobilising adaptation financing,” Power Shift Africa founder and director Mohamed Adow said.
He said two years is too long and misses the opportunity to set a long-term financial goal.
Adow said the adaptation goal is a playbook for how the world is going to adapt to the climate change that is already happening and will continue to happen, even if countries stop using fossil fuels today.
“Ending fossil fuels is about how to stop climate change. The adaptation goal is how we help people suffering from its impacts,” he said.
Adow said funding is also too low.
“The goal for 2023 was to raise $300 million for the Adaptation Fund. We have only seen $169 million in pledges, which is a mere 56 per cent of the intended amount," he said.
"This is particularly galling considering last month’s Adaptation Gap Report by the UN Environment Programme, which revealed the current $387 billion adaptation finance gap in the world.”
UN Foundation senior policy adviser Cristina Rumbaitis said the framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation is the most important adaptation outcome they expected to see from COP28.
“We needed this framework, with clear targets and financing behind it, to be a guiding star for adaptation in the world, but most importantly, for the Global South. This framework was necessary to send a clear message to politicians and decision-makers at all levels that urgent action is needed to get the world climate-ready,” she said.